European white poplar Salicaceae Populus alba L.   symbol: POAL7
	Leaf: Alternate, simple, pinnately veined, 2 to 4 inches long, margins are coarsely toothed and sometimes lobed (maple-like), shiny green above and silvery white-wooly beneath. Flower: Dioecious; male and female as pendulous catkins, 2 to 3 inches long, appearing before the leaves. Fruit: Cottony seeds borne in dehiscent capsules which mature in late spring to early summer. Twig: Medium-textured, gray to reddish brown and may have some gray pubescence; buds are ovate and pointed, reddish brown with some gray fine hairs, laterals are somewhat hooked. Has a bitter aspirin taste. Bark: Smooth and milky greenish white for several years, later developing numerous lenticels which enlarge and develop into shallow dark splits and ridges. Form: Generally a single straight trunk, with a thin, narrow crown. Coppices readily so it is often forms thickets.
	USDA Plants Database Populus alba is planted in the highlighted USDA hardiness zones to the left and may seed into the landscape. See a map of the states in which European white poplar has escaped (opens a new window).