White poplar
Populus alba
EmergentSecondary
Fast biomass
A fast, silvery biomass tree for wetter or heavier ground — it roots easily, pumps minerals up and gives quick shade. Coppice it, but watch the suckers: it spreads and can turn weedy.
Tolerances & traits
- Strata
- Emergent
- Lifecycle
- Secondary
- Soil preference
- Clay, Loam
- Soil pH range
- 5.5 – 8
- Min. temperature
- -30°C
- Min. rainfall
- 500 mm/year
- Wind tolerance
- High
- Frost tolerance
- High
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Irrigation needed
- Medium
How to manage it
Great for wet zones, riverbanks or as a fast windbreak/buffer line; roots readily from winter hardwood cuttings and pollards well for repeat mulch.
Watch out for
Suckers aggressively from roots, especially if the trunk is cut or stressed, and is considered invasive/weedy outside its native range (e.g. naturalised in North America) — keep away from crop lines and structures.
Design your line to see how your land fits White poplar.
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