How to Manage and ID Lombardy poplar

Often planted for its fast growth and usefulness as a short-lived screen or windbreak, Lombardy Poplar forms a slender column of many short, upwardpointing branches and can reach 40 to 60 feet in height with a spread of only 10 to 12 feet.
Landscapers and urban foresters have little good to say about Lombardy poplar trees. Populus nigra grows extremely fast but dies an ugly death in just a few years. Still Lombardy poplar just may be the most planted ornamental tree in America.

Scientific name: Populus nigra ‘Italica’
Pronunciation: POP-yoo-lus NYE-gruh
Common name(s): Lombardy Poplar
Family: Salicaceae USDA hardiness zones: 3 through 9A
Origin: not native to North America
Uses: reclamation plant; no proven urban tolerance
Availability: somewhat available, may have to go out of the region to find the tree

Height: 40 to 50 feet
Spread: 10 to 12 feet
Crown uniformity: symmetrical canopy with a regular (or smooth) outline, and individuals have more or less identical crown forms
Crown shape: columnar
Crown density: moderate
Growth rate: fast
Texture: fine

Trunk/bark/branches: bark is thin and easily damaged from mechanical impact; branch grow mostly upright and will not droop; not particularly showy; should be grown with a single leader;
Pruning requirement: needs little pruning to develop a strong structure
Breakage: susceptible to breakage either at the crotch due to poor collar formation, or the wood itself is weak and tends to break
Current year twig color: brown
Current year twig thickness: thin

Leaf arrangement: alternate
Leaf type: simple
Leaf margin: crenate; serrate
Leaf shape: deltoid; ovate
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaf type and persistence: deciduous
Leaf blade length: 2 to 4 inches
Leaf color: green
Fall color: yellow
Fall characteristic: showy

Light requirement: tree grows in full sun
Soil tolerances: clay; loam; sand; acidic;
occasionally wet; alkaline; well-drained
Drought tolerance: high
Aerosol salt tolerance: moderate
Soil salt tolerance: moderate

If planted, Lombardy Poplar should be grown in full sun on well-drained, acid or alkaline soil. It tolerates wet soil well but also performs in drought, losing leaves early in very dry summers. Multiple suckers often appear at the base of trees and occasionally on roots far from the tree, and the roots are considered invasive. Also, the trees are, unfortunately, very susceptible to stem canker disease which usually limits their life to only 10 or 15-years. Plant other narrow-crowned trees including ‘Fastigiate’ European Hornbeam, Armstrong Maple, ‘Fastigiata’ Alder, Fastigiate English Oak, Leyland Cypress, and others instead of this tree.
Propagation is by cuttings since Lombardy Poplar is a male clone.