Poplar Tree Facts: Sizes, Leaves, Uses, and Varieties

Overview

Eastern cottonwood is the largest U.S. native poplar (100 ft, massive trunk). But introduced species offer more manageable landscape sizes.

Size Options

Lombardy poplar: columnar, 30–60 ft tall, ~10 ft wide. White poplar: up to 80 ft, many cultivars 50 ft. Bolleana poplar: 60–100 ft, 40–50 ft spread, nice shade but short-lived (USFS).

Leaf Identification

Native poplars: wide base, toothed, tapering point. Lombardy: triangular/diamond. White poplar: lobed, wavy edges. Lombardy bright green; white poplar blue-green above, silvery-white below.

Landscape Uses

Lombardy: screens/windbreaks (plant in rows). White poplar: shade/specimen tree. Simon poplar (Chinese, ~40 ft): ornamental. Eastern cottonwood: large open areas near water.

Site Requirements

Both need full sun. White poplar: moist loam, any pH, salt-tolerant (coastal OK). Suckers can be transplanted. Lombardy: full sun, moist soil, both tolerate extended dry periods.

Cultivar Selection

Majestic Lombardy: hardy, fast. Italica: rapid to 50 ft but disease-prone (UConn). Globosa white poplar: shrub-sized. Siouxland (cottonwood hybrid): 70 ft if space allows.