Features

• All poplar trees have a flattened leaf stem. With the slightest breeze these flat leaves rustle. Some poplar trees have leaves that turn yellow in the fall. The cottonwood poplar produces large amounts of seeds that look like cotton, allowing it to multiply quickly.
  
  

Growth Rate

• The growth rate of poplars depends on site, stand history, age and the free-to-grow rating of the trees. The age of the tree, the site it is planted on and the environment all affect how fast a poplar will grow. In ideal conditions, the cottonwood poplar can grow several feet a year, averaging around 3 to 6 feet in one season. The Lombardy poplar grows very quickly --- anywhere from 6 feet up to 12 feet a year.
  
  The yellow poplar, or tulip tree, has slow growth the first year, ranging from just a few centimeters up to 1 foot. Rapid growth begins in the second year with good light, averaging 10 to 18 feet tall by the fifth year. During this sapling stage, the tulip tree makes extremely rapid growth strides. An 11-year-old yellow poplar tree can be as tall as 50 feet. The largest member of the species, the cottonwood, matures to around 100 feet tall. The Lombardy poplar grows to a mature height of around 40 feet tall. The older the tree, the slower its growth becomes.
  
  

Considerations

• Poplars often are short-lived due to a fungus that grows on the trunk. They have a very aggressive but shallow root system that competes with lawns or gardens planted near the trees. Some poplar species become brittle with age. Others produce unwanted suckers along their root system.
  
  

Tips

• Poplars do especially well planted near water. They are an excellent choice for naturalization of open areas around water. Poplar trees adapt to a wide range of environmental conditions. Lombardy poplars are often planted as a fast-growing windbreak.