Poplar Tree Information
Poplar trees are members of the willow family and commonly referred to as cottonwood trees. Aspen trees are close relatives of the poplar. Poplar trees possess soft wood that often winds up as boxes, matches and paper. Different native species of poplar trees grow in the United States, as well as some introduced species.
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Leaves
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The leaves of the majority of poplar species are broad and have obvious toothed margins. Some species have leaves that grow quite large, such as the seven-inch long and six-inch wide leaves of the swamp cottonwood. The stems are long and the leaves are alternate on the twig, a term that merely means that one leaf develops on a twig and another on the other side of the twig but further up.
Reproduction
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Poplar trees either will be male or female, with the male flowers termed "staminate" and the female flowers called "pistillate." Once pollinated, these flowers bear a fruit that hangs down in clusters from a stem. A greenish capsule, shaped almost like a flask, shields the seeds until the fruit turns ripe enough to finally open up. The seeds then disperse through the air, carried on the wind by a minute tuft of hair.
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Eastern Cottonwood
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The eastern cottonwood grows in the eastern half of the United States, with the exception of some of the Mid-Atlantic states. This poplar species sometimes achieves 100 feet in height with a four-foot wide trunk. The bark normally matures into a dark gray color with ridges and multiple furrows. Like most poplars, it does its best in moist soil, frequently growing near rivers and streams. The plains cottonwood of the western prairie states is a very similar type poplar.
Narrowleaf Poplar
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The narrowleaf poplar of the Rocky Mountain region has a more elongated leaf than the typical poplar tree. These leaves resemble those of the weeping willow and are two to three inches in length and perhaps half an inch wide. Narrowleaf poplar trees range between 50 and 60 feet high and, like all poplars, lose their leaves when autumn turns cold.
Introduced Poplars
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White poplar came to the United States from Europe and Asia and gained a foothold quickly, thriving to the point that various subspecies now live across the country. Many trunks will often grow out of a single main base to a height of 50 to 80 feet. Lombardy poplar is an oft-planted tree when an area requires trees to form a windbreak. It originally came from Italy. The Simon poplar from China is an ornamental tree that landscapers utilize; it typically grows 40 feet high.
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