Balsam poplar

Family Salicaceae. Native to North America. A species very widely used in cultivation.

Description: these are large dioecious trees up to 40 m tall, with small flowers gathered in catkins, which appear before the beginning of leaf unfolding or simultaneously with them. The fruit is a capsule with small seeds provided with tufts of hairs in the form of a fluff ("poplar fluff"). During seed dispersal the fluff is carried abundantly in the air, littering everything around. Therefore, when using poplars in landscaping, planting female specimens should be avoided. For vegetative propagation ONLY MALE specimens of the plants should be used. Negative qualities include their comparative short lifespan and significant damage by pests (especially the poplar moth, from which balsam poplar suffers most). A valuable quality is sufficient resistance to smoke and gases, and the ability to enrich the air with phytoncides and kill pathogenic microbes.

A large tree up to 20-25 m high, with a spreading, broad, ovoid crown. Bark of old trees dark gray at the base, above - gray, smooth. Shoots slightly angled, later cylindrical, brown. Leaves ovate or elliptic (12 x 7 cm), glossy, dark green above, whitish beneath, young leaves sticky, margins finely serrate-dentate. - During bud burst, the leaves are very aromatic. Flowers before leafing. Catkins up to 15 cm long, glabrous. Seeds with abundant hairs.

Fairly resistant to gases and frost, tolerates partial shade. Propagated by cuttings. In urban conditions it is severely damaged by the poplar moth and rust. Grows very fast, sometimes adding up to 1 m of growth per season. Suitable for forest parks, especially along water bodies, for solitary and group planting, alleys and roadside plantings.

based on materials from the website www.ultradrome.narod.ru