Plant Guide > Trees > Poplars > Abele or White Poplar Tree

Abele or White Poplar Tree

Abele or White Poplar TreeThe Abele or White Poplar (Populus alba, Linn.) is much planted about American homes, its downy-leaved and "mapleleaved" varieties having the preference. The silvery velvet of the leaf linings is in sharp contrast to the dark, shining upper surfaces of the leaves. The flexible stems give the wind much freedom in the treetops, and the sunlight is reflected from the leaves much as it is on rippling water. The pale outer bark breaks in streaks and spots, showing the dark under layers, much as the palest trunks of cottonwoods do. The tree is distinctly a poplar in flowers and fruits.

Two bad habits have these silvery poplars: (1) their roots send up suckers, to the distress of owners and neighbours; (2) their leaves accumulate and hold dust and coal soot until they are filthy before the summer is half done. Moral: Plant your silver poplar in the background, where its sprouting can be controlled without damage to the lawn and where distance lends enchantment to the view of its foliage.