Black poplar
Populus nigra
Family · Salicaceae · Harmless
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The tree that marks inland rivers and irrigation lines, often planted in rows as a windbreak. The narrow upright form seen along roads is a variety, the Lombardy poplar, propagated by cuttings for centuries.
Streams and ditches · Fields and pasture · Roadsides and waste ground
Also known asLombardy poplar
How to tell it
A diamond or triangular leaf with a sharp tip and finely toothed margin, green on both sides. The stalk is long and flattened, which makes the leaf tremble in the least wind and gives a poplar stand its characteristic sound. Dark, deeply cracked bark.
What it is confused with
White poplar
Populus alba
Turn the leaf over: white poplar's is white-felted beneath and looks silver from afar in the wind; black poplar's is green on both sides.
Open sheet →What it is for
Light timber for boxes and pulp, and shade on irrigated land. Cuttings root almost always, which is why a row of poplars is usually someone's work rather than chance.