Scientific Name:
Populus alba
Pronunciation:
pop-YOU-lus AL-bah
Common Name:
white poplar, silver poplar
Family Name:
Salicaceae
Plant Type:
Invasive plant, Tree - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Tree trunk with diamond-shaped, dark lenticels on gray-white bark; leaves alternate, shape irregular to 5 lobed, most ovate, 5-8cm long x 4-7cm wide, turning dark-green above as pubescence is lost, silvery white & hairy underside (cashmere-like), leaves turn yellow in autumn; male catkins red, <8cm.long, pendent, early spring; female catkins green, <5cm long. Winter ID: bark pattern; zig-zagged twigs and buds with dense grey pubescence.
Habit:
Dense, Open, Spreading, Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Coarse
Mature Height:
22 - 30m
Mature Spread:
10 - 15m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Africa, Europe
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Wetlands
Landscape Uses:
Screening, Shade tree, Summer interest, Tall background, Wind break, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple, Lobed
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Leathery, Heavily veined
Surfaces:
Tomentose
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green, Silver / Grayish
Colour in Fall:
Yellow, Silver / Grayish
Shapes:
Ovate, Other
Bases:
Cordate
Margins:
Pinnately lobed, Serrate
Inflorescence Type:
Catkin (ament)
Flower Morphology:
Dioecious plant
Number Of Petals:
0
Colour (petals):
Not showy, Red
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Mar, Apr
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
White, Brown
Fruiting Time:
May, Jun
Additional Info:
Not showy
Bark Morphology:
Showy, Smooth, Prominent lenticels, Single stem trunk
Bark or Stem Colour:
White, Grey
Leaf Bud Type:
Ovoid
Leaf Scar Shape:
Half-round
Organ Modifications:
Ectomycorrhizae, Leaf-like bracts, Suckers (shoots from roots)
Propagation:
Seed, Hardwood cuttings, Layering
Maintenance:
Medium
Pest Susceptibility:
Dieback, Galls, Heart rot, Leaf miner insect, Root rot, Rust (Pest resistant)
