What kind of tree is the Chinese white poplar, and what are its characteristics?
The Chinese white poplar (Populus tomentosa) is a large deciduous tree in the genus Populus of the family Salicaceae. It grows fast, has a straight and upright trunk, and is highly adaptable. Its main root and lateral roots are well developed, and its branches and leaves are dense. It is a good tree species for fast-growing timber forests, shelterbelts, and greening along roads and river channels. It is widely distributed, with the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River basin as its central distribution area. Female trees are most common in central Henan Province, followed by Shandong, and are less common in other areas. Female trees have been introduced in Beijing.
The Chinese white poplar can reach 30 m in height. Its bark is dark gray when young, grayish green when mature, gradually turning grayish white, and blackish gray at the base when old. The lateral branches spread out, the male trees' branches are slanting upward, and the branches of old trees droop. The branchlets (young twigs) are initially covered with gray felt-like hairs, then become smooth. The buds are ovate; the flower buds are ovate or nearly spherical, slightly covered with felt-like hairs. The leaves on long shoots are broadly ovate or triangular-ovate, with a short acuminate apex, a cordate or truncate base, and deeply serrate or wavy-serrate margins. The upper part of the petiole is laterally flattened. The leaves on short shoots are usually smaller, ovate or triangular-ovate, slightly shorter than the leaf blade, with no glands at the apex.
The male inflorescence of the Chinese white poplar is 10-14 cm long. The male flower bracts have about 10 pointed tips and are densely covered with long hairs. There are 6-12 stamens, and the anthers are red. The female inflorescence is 4-7 cm long, with brown bracts that are sharply lobed and have long hairs along the edges. The ovary is long-elliptic, the stigma is 2-lobed, and pink. The infructescence can reach 14 cm in length. The capsule is conical or long-ovate and dehisces into 2 valves. The flowering period is March, and the fruiting period is April to May.
The Chinese white poplar prefers to grow in temperate plain areas below 1500 m in altitude. It is deep-rooted and relatively drought-tolerant. It can grow in clay, loam, sandy loam, or low-lying, mildly saline-alkali soil. It grows fastest where water and fertilizer conditions are sufficient, and can reach timber size in 20 years. It is one of China's fast-growing tree species.
The wood of the Chinese white poplar is white, with straight grain and high fiber content. It is easy to dry and easy to process, and has good painting and gluing properties. It can be used as timber for construction, furniture, box boards, matchsticks, and papermaking, and is a raw material for artificial fibers. With good wood quality, fast growth, a long lifespan, relatively high tolerance to drought and salinity-alkali, a majestic tree form, and a beautiful crown shape, it is an excellent garden landscaping or street tree that people in various places like to plant, and it is also a fast-growing timber afforestation tree species in North China.