Landscapers and urban foresters have little good to say about Lombardy poplar trees. Says Dr. Mike Dirr in his
Tree and Shrub Encyclopedia, "To most horticulturists, this tree is taboo because of its susceptibility to a devastating canker." Populus nigra grows extremely fast but dies an ugly death in just a few years. Problem is it just may be the most planted ornamental tree in America.More on Lombardy poplar: How to Manage and ID Lombardy poplar
This poplar actually does more than just explode like a firework only to die in 25 years. As it grows, the poplar can damage building foundations, grow rapidly into powerlines and usurps valuable water from the landscape. The "deltoid" leaves have glands that sometimes exude water and can be seen "crying" or "weeping". The tree dies from the top down, leaving a withered and bare top but pushing new sprouts out the base. Not a pretty sight.
Art Plotnik writes in The Urban Tree Book that a group of foresters in Oregon named the tree one they would like to see less of. Even with all this bad press the Lombardy poplar was planted along Pennsylvania Avenue by Thomas Jefferson during his presidency and the Mormons transplanted the tree in Utah with great success.
Lombardy Poplar Nursery - Getty Image/Vincenzo Lombardo
Comments
Lombardy Poplar in Ontario Canada was a popular tree planted by the pioneers and so when you see them around the countryside it is always evocative of our pioneer roots.
Makes it goof for coppicing then. How does the wood perform as far as burning for heat?
MY LOMBARDY TREE WAS SO INVASIVE……..THE ROOTS WERE HUMOGOUS, TRAVELING 40-50 FEET FROM THE TREE I HAD CUT DOWN. SPROUTS COMING OUT ALL OVER MY YARD, AT THE FOUNDATION OF MY HOME AND BETWEN MY STEPS. I HAVE BEEN SPRAYING THE SPROUTS FOR TWO YEARS….2-3 TIMES A WEEK….I HOPE IT SLOWS SOON. THANKS PETER