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Populus alba

Populus alba

Taxonomy

Kingdom
PLANTS
Family
Salicaceae
Genus
Populus
Species
alba
Synonyms
linda

Habitat / Home / Areal

A massive tree, grows to a height of 25 m to 30 m, sometimes up to 40 m, dry habitats, occurs at altitudes up to 500 m.a.s.l., light-loving, warm-loving

Botanical description

Habitus: sparse crown, whitish-gray, greenish, to broadly ovate, branches thick, bark smooth when young, whitish-gray to greenish-grey, longitudinally cracked, dark gray to black bark

Leaf: on shoots and young plants the leaves are deeply lobed, and on the reverse side white downy, on older trees shallowly lobed, and on the reverse side gray green, the edge is irregularly cut, leaf size 6-10 cm x 6-11 cm,, the petiole of the leaves is long 2-3 cm

Flower: buds arranged in a spiral, conical to egg-conical, round, olive green, densely white felt, flowers are catkins

Fruit: light brown capsule, ripens in May, seeds are tiny, 1 mm in size

Growth conditions / Cultivation / Care

  • unsuitable for park and garden landscaping
  • suitable for landscaping
  • fibrous wood, used in the paper-pulp industry, 
  • production of matches
  • energy fuel, production of wood chips as a renewable energy source

Use / Function and landscape

  • strengthen river banks
  • parks

Special use

It occurs in lowlands, tolerant to changes of water regime, not demanded on soil

Reproduction

Seed

Varieties

“Pyramidalis”

Diseases and pests

fungi – Venturia populina (teleom.) – Pollaccia elegans (anam.)