Populus alba, commonly called silver poplar, silverleaf poplar, or white poplar, is a species of poplar, most closely related to the aspens. It is native to a region spanning from the Atlas Mountains of Africa, through most of South and Central Europe, into Central Asia; it has been introduced to many temperate, moist regions worldwide. It grows in moist sites, often by watersides, in regions with hot summers and cold to mild winters.
Foliage of the white poplar
White poplar leaves; underside left, upper side right
Trunk, showing the characteristic diamond-shaped marks
Alley of grey poplars
Populus is a genus of 25–30 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar, aspen, and cottonwood.
Populus
Mature trembling aspen trees (Populus tremuloides) with young regeneration in foreground, in Fairbanks, Alaska
Male catkins of Populus × canadensis
The seeds of the poplar tree are easily dispersed by the wind, due to the fine hairs surrounding them.