Canadian Poplar

Thirty meter high hybrid

The Carolina poplar is a hybrid: a cross between the black poplar (Populus nigra), which grows wild along the Dutch rivers, and the American necklace poplar (Populus deltoides). The tree can reach over 30 m in height and has a broad, loose crown. This cross originated in France around 1750 and its vernacular name (Canadian poplar in Dutch and Carolina poplar in English) is therefore confusing. Carolina poplars are, like the balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera), widely planted because the wood was used for making clogs and matchsticks.

Carolina poplar and its relatives are pollinated by the wind. The seeds with their cotton-like strands are released when the fruit capsules split open – they may be so abundant that it can give the impression of snow lying under the trees.

When the leaves break in mid-April, they are light green to bronzed russet in colour. The catkins are red. The poplar seeds with their cotton strand develop quickly within the female catkins. The fast growing poplars evaporate a great deal of water and are therefore planted on wet sites and in areas to help drain flood plains. In North Brabant they are often planted for the clog industry. Populus x canadensis 'Serotina' is one such cultivar.