Poplars aretrees native to Americaand they belong to the willow family.
Some lower growing poplars are also attractive privacy hedges or used as natural windbreak canopies.
It gets its name for its flowers that look like tulips.
Here are other interesting facts about the tulip poplar tree.
Poplar tree identification
So how would you know if you have spotted a poplar tree?
Easy; you must check the bark, the leaves and the flower and heres how.
Bark
Poplar trees have a smooth bark along with a white, silver-gray color.
Its most distinct characteristic would be the lenticels running through the bark.
They emerge at a rough growth on a horizontal score and dark colors.
As it grows into maturity, most poplar trees barks become fissured and darken in color.
It is confused withbirch treeswhen it comes to bark because they have the same white, silver-gray bark.
The only difference is that poplar tree barks never peel.
Leaves
Poplar trees come in many textures, shapes, and sizes.
Some poplar tree leaves have serrated, toothed margins while others are triangular or heart shaped.
Some are pointed, while others are lobed, quite resembling the leaves of maple trees.
But the identifying factor for poplar tree leaves would be their glossy leaves with silver undertones.
They literally sparkle under the sun.
Quake poplar trees have leaves that look like they are continually trembling.
Flowers
The flowers of poplar trees are called catkins.
After the bloom time, a furry, cotton-ball like substance appears.
Here are some of the most popular poplar trees out there that you should know about.
It has maple-like leaves, complete with serrated edges and silver undersides.
The bark of this poplar has diamond marks.
It blooms gray-green catkins in the summer and followed by white, wooly seed hairs.
It grows to up to 100ft, provides a lot of shade and is listed under cottonwoods.
The leaves are green year-round and then turn golden yellow in the fall.
It grows at 65-100ft and gets its name from its very dark bark.
Male black poplars bloom yellow-green flowers while female black poplars bloom red flowers.
It grows to up to 50ft and offers a 60ft shade.
It is also called as the Italian poplar and is used mainly as windbreak or for tall hedging.
With its shallow roots, it does not make a good ornamental landscape tree.
The leaf of this poplar is deep green but turns golden yellow during fall.
Its bark is gray-green and turns black and fissured in maturity.
It grows from 80-130ft.
5.Western Balsam Poplar (Populus trichocarpa)
This poplar is native to North America.
It is also called the black cottonwood growing in between 100-165ft.
It is listed as the largest native American poplar tree.
It is a hybrid poplar made from cross breeding a necklace poplar and a black poplar.
It has a round, narrowly spreading crown, and produces red catkins during spring.
The bark is gray and smooth but turns dark, scaly, and fissured when it matures.
It is a fast-growing, vigorous tree, reaching a height in between 40-70ft.
Its leaves are glossy, dark green, and come with a silver underside.
The leaves are also oval, with rough serrations along the margins.
It is distinct for its uneven crown.
Unlike the others, it does produce wooly suckers, so it leaves a tidy space.
It has very slender trunks, with smooth, white-gray bark.
The leaves are gray-green, leathery, and open from spring to fall.
It grows to up to 30ft and blooms red catkins during spring.
It is considered as the most disease-resistant poplar in Midwest America.
It is native to Japan but is now used as a mother plant to many hardy poplar trees.
Male big tooth aspens bloom white, creamy flowers while females bloom yellow flowers in spring.
The leaves are large, with curved teeth.
They are silvery-green most seasons but turn golden yellow in the fall.
The bark has a cotton-white color on the lower surface and a white-gray color on the top surface.
When it becomes mature, the bark becomes dark gray, a bit rough, and fissured.
Through prolific suckering, quaking aspens are listed as fast-growing aspens and are marked invasive in some areas.
It grows in between 60-85ft.
They are deep green most times but turn yellow in the fall.
The bark is grayish-white with brown fissures where photosynthesis takes place.
It is, however, functional for soil erosion regulation.
The bark is dark gray and fissured and yellow catkins emerge during spring.
It is also called the narrowleaf cottonwood.
12.Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
This one is called the necklace poplar.
It has crimson red stems, triangle shaped leaves that are coarse in texture and with finely toothed margins.
The leaves also constantly flutter with the wind because the leaves are attached to a branch with flat petioles.
They are dark green in color year-round but turn golden yellow during fall.
The bark is smooth and light gray when it is young.
When it becomes mature, the bark becomes dark gray, fissured, and rough.
It has a broad, open crown.
The bark is smooth and grayish-white that turns into dark gray with fissures in maturity.
It needs a stable supply of fresh water to thrive and grows to up to 60ft.
What are poplar trees used for?
Poplar trees are very functional.
Hybrid poplars are usually significant for commercial uses, especially in the landscape industry.
Common poplars on the other hand are valuable sources of wood, and food for wildlife.
Here are some specific uses of poplar trees.
The most common shade poplar would be the white poplar.
Because poplars are very sturdy, they are also good as windbreakers.
Hybrid poplars are also used for these functions because they are disease-resistant.
Wood supply
Commercially, hybrid poplars are also sought-after.
The barks are also used for cardboard, pressed board, and paper pulp production.
They are also used in erosion control.
Where do poplar trees grow?
Poplars grow in temperate climates.
These trees love full sun, moisture, and nutrient rich, well-draining soils.
As such, it is usually found in swamps, riverbanks, and streams.
Are poplar trees poisonous?
Fortunately,poplar trees have very low toxin concentration.
They are also listed as non-toxic to dogs, horses, and humans.
They are also fast-growing and the branches could disrupt electricity lines.
Aspen vs poplar trees
Scientifically, there is no difference between aspen and poplar trees.
As a matter of fact, poplar trees are divided into aspen trees and cottonwood trees.
As such, it is better to differentiate cottonwood from aspen.
They grow at a range of 50-160ft.
So, what are the pros and cons of hybrid poplar trees?
Pros:
Cons
Hybrid poplar trees are not perfect.
They also have their own drawbacks.
Where to buy poplar trees?
Poplar trees can be bought in your local nurseries.
As a matter of fact, the oldest living thing on earth is a poplar tree.
How to stop poplar trees from spreading?
Poplar trees are divided between aspens and cottonwoods.
Overall, poplar trees are iconic trees and not just because of their mighty appearance.
