White poplar

The leaf

The underside of the leaf is covered in thick white felt, and in the wind the whole tree seems to change colour. On long shoots the leaves have three to five lobes, like a hand; on short twigs they are smaller, oval and irregularly toothed.

The bark

The bark is white or very pale grey, with dark diamond-shaped marks. At the base of old trunks it turns dark and cracks.

The fruit

It bears small capsules grouped in hanging catkins. When they ripen in spring they split open and release seeds with white fluff, like those of the black poplar.

The flower

It flowers in late winter, before the leaves come out, in hanging catkins. Male and female flowers grow on separate trees.

1. Jan
2. Feb
3. Mar
4. Apr
5. May
6. Jun
7. Jul
8. Aug
9. Sep
10. Oct
11. Nov
12. Dec

Habit

A large tree with a broad crown and pale branches. It sends up many suckers from its roots, so it often forms groves that are really all the same individual.

Where it grows

It grows beside rivers, irrigation ditches and damp hollows all over Catalonia, especially in the lowlands. It has also been widely planted along avenues, in parks and beside roads.