Balsam Poplar - Populus balsamifera

	Populus balsamifera - Balsam Poplar Willow Family: Salicaceae. Height: to 100' Spread: 40-50' Habit / Form: Upright / Hardy to USDA Zone 3 Common names include Balm Of Gilead, Balm Poplar, Black Poplar, Black Cottonwood, Hackmatack. Tree Encyclopedia \| Trees Index \| Elms & Zelkovas \| Maple Trees \| Rose Family \| Birch Family

Balsam Poplar Foliage.

Salicaceae has 350 or so species of willows and poplars, which are mainly natives of the Northern Hemisphere. The one uniting feature of all these plants is their flowers; they have neither petals nor sepals but are borne in catkins that usually appear before the tree's new leaves. Both willows and poplars prefer moist sites and hybridize easily. These trees were growing along the banks of a small creek, along with various willows.

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Flowering and Fruiting - Poplar hybrids are dioecious and first flower at about 8 years of age. The flowers are borne in catkins (or aments) in the spring before leafing. Male and female catkins, when fully developed, are 10 to 15 cm (3.9 to 5.9 in) long. In the female flower, the number of stigmas varies from two to four and are either cap- or y-shaped. In the male flower, the number of stamens varies from 30 to 80.

Balsam Poplars are shade intolerant.

The bract has 20 to 30 digits, depending on the cultivar. The central areas of the bracts are light in color and the digits are dark brown, sometimes tinged with black. Many poplar hybrids have never produced flowers and thus are thought to be sterile. Poplars flower between February and May and disperse seed between April and June of the same year. Intersection Leuce hybrids disperse seed a few weeks before intersection Aigeiros and Tacamahaca or intersection Aigeiros- Tacamahaca hybrids. Fruits are one-celled capsules borne in long pendulous clusters (catkins), and each capsule is surrounded by tufts of long, white, silky hairs attached to the short stalks of the seeds, promoting wind dispersion over great distances.

Hybrid poplars were initially developed for conventional pulpwood. In recent years, more interest has been placed on evaluation of hybrid poplar for short-rotation chip production for pulp and energy uses. However, at this time, investment rates of return are not attractive for large scale conversions to short rotation intensive culture systems.

In the northeastern United States, moose and deer often browse on poplar hybrids in recently planted plantations. Poplar buds are a choice food supply for ruffed grouse and several kinds of songbirds. Grouse and pheasant also eat the catkins. In urban areas, poplar hybrids are useful where fast-growing trees are needed for shade, landscaping, and screening around industrial buildings, apartment complexes, recreational playing areas, parking lots, and landfills. These trees live less than 100 years so more tolerant species should be interplanted with them. Poplar hybrids are used to stabilize soils on hillsides, along streams and rivers, landfills, and borrow pits. They are also planted as fence rows to reduce air speed in agricultural areas where soil is transported by the wind.
Excerpts from -- USDA http://na.fs.fed.us Maurice E. Demeritt, Jr. Poplar Hybrids

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