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Pioppo albero

Poplar, tree

The term populus indicates a genus of plants belonging to the Salicaceae family which includes more than thirty species which, in common parlance, are indistinctly called poplars. The poplar, a tree native to the northern hemisphere, can reach a maximum height of 22 meters; the stem, in the event of favorable environmental conditions, can reach 2.5 meters in circumference. The bark of this genus of plants is smooth, especially in the younger specimens, with colors ranging from white to light gray; as regards the older specimens, however, the bark is strongly wrinkled, darker and full of cracks. The leaves are arranged in a spiral and have a circular shape: the size varies from to specimen while the color becomes yellowish, almost golden, in the autumn season.

Types of poplars

The ideal age for breeding is around 15 years. The flowers appear in the first spring months, even before the leaves and are collected in inflorescences; before the gemminile ones appear the male ones, which have hanging spikes and much longer. The fruits are small capsules, brown, almost greenish, which ripen towards the beginning of summer: these contain many light brown seeds.The poplars, particularly those of the populus section, represent the most widespread broad-leaved trees of the whole Boreal Emisphere. These are evergreen plants, although, as mentioned, the leaves turn yellow in autumn: these, in fact, remain attached to the tree throughout the winter season. We talk about sections because poplars are divided into five sections: aegiros, populus,

Characteristics and needs of poplars

Poplar is a very important plant in arboriculture, especially in that aimed at the production of wood: for example, it is used in the production of plywood sheets and boards, but also to make matches, paper, etc. The plant is very popular as an ornament so much so that it is often used in public parks, private gardens and even in the avenues of large cities. It is found throughout the northern hemisphere, from the warm regions of North Africa to the cold Scandinavian lands, from North America to East Asia. The poplar, a tree that needs a lot of light to grow luxuriantly, wants a very fertile and fairly soft soil, humid but without stagnation of water. The plant grows very quickly, under ideal conditions.

Poplar tree: Type of poplars: the white poplar

White poplar is one of the most popular poplar varieties: under optimal conditions, this particular species can reach heights of almost 30 meters and diameters of 1.20 meters. White poplar has a beautiful appearance and is widely used as an ornamental tree. The crown is rounded while the stem is branched and, at times, very sinuous. The branches are sturdy, they start at a short height from the ground and the leaves are oval; the bark is greenish or whitish, depending also on the age of the tree. The plant grows spontaneously in almost every region of the northern hemisphere; in our country it can be found up to heights of 1200 meters in the Alps and 1500 meters along the Apennine chain. This particular type of poplar is grown mainly in the regions of central Wueopa.