Populus alba - White Poplar

White poplar is a medium-sized tree, reaching at maturity 30 m in height and 1 m in diameter, rarely up to 40 m, and living up to 300-400 years. The trunk is never straight, usually leaning to one side. The crown is normally broad and rounded with large branches inserted irregularly, often bifurcated. Above or in young trees the bark is creamy white pitted with small black diamonds; it is black and coarsely cracked at the base of older trees. The leaves are alternate, morphologically variable, with 3-5 lobes coarsely toothed, 6-12 cm long and longer than they are wide. The color is shiny dark-green on the upper side and white with dense hair on the lower side. Like other poplars, it is a dioecious species. Flowers are out before the leaves in early spring. The male catkins are grey with red stamens, 5-8 cm long; the female catkins are greyish-green, 10- 15 cm long, forming fluffy seeds in early summer. White Poplar is native to Central & S. Europe to Xinjiang and Western Himalaya. Flowering: April-May.