Family: Salicaceae
Author: L.
Bibliography: Sp. Pl.: 1034 (1753)
Year: 1753
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Populus
Vegetable: False
Observations: C. & S. Europe to Xinjiang and W. Himalaya
Description
The Silverleaf poplar, scientifically known as Populus alba, is a renowned tree species with an expansive geographic range extending from Central and Southern Europe to Xinjiang and the Western Himalayas. First described in the seminal work “Species Plantarum” in 1753 by the botanist Carl Linnaeus, this species stands as a significant member of the Salicaceae family.
Distinguished by its striking foliage, the Silverleaf poplar is characterized by leaves that possess a unique, silvery white underside, a feature that not only contributes to its common name but also aids in reflecting sunlight, thereby reducing water loss. The upper side of the leaves presents a dark green shade, offering a beautiful contrast that adds visual interest to landscapes.
This deciduous tree is adaptable and resilient, commonly found in a variety of habitats, ranging from riverbanks and floodplains to open fields and urban areas. It thrives in moist, well-drained soils but is also capable of enduring drought conditions once established. Its robust nature and moderate growth rate make it a popular choice for both decorative and practical purposes, including shade and windbreaks.
In addition to its aesthetic appeal, the Silverleaf poplar exhibits ecological significance. The tree provides habitat and food for various wildlife species, including birds and insects. Its fast-growing nature makes it valuable in reforestation projects and soil stabilization efforts.
Culturally and historically, the Silverleaf poplar has been appreciated for its timber and ornamental value. However, due to its propensity to spread and form dense clones via root suckers, it may require management to prevent it from becoming invasive in certain regions.
The combination of its beauty, resilience, and ecological benefits ensures that the Silverleaf poplar continues to be an important and admired species throughout its native range and beyond.
Common Names
Eng: abele, silver poplar, silverleaf poplar, white poplar, european white poplar, silver-leaved poplar, silver-leaf poplar
Spa: alamo blanco, alamo-blanco, álamo blanco
Lit: baltoji tuopa
Deu: silber-pappel
Dan: sølv-poppel
Nld: witte abeel
Lav: balt
Por: choupo-branco, álamo-branco, álamo-prateado, choupo branco
Swe: hopeapoppeli, silverpoppel, vitpoppel
Fin: hopeapoppeli
Est: hõbehaab
Fra: peuplier blanc, abèle, peuplier argenté, peuplier blanc de hollande, peuplier à feuille d’érable
Nno: sølvpoppel
Nob: sølvpoppel
Afr: witpopulier
Cym: aethnen wen, gwiwydden, peisgwyn, poplys gwynion, poplysen, poplysen wen
En: Silverleaf poplar, Abele, White poplar, Silver poplar, European white poplar, Silver-leaf Poplar, Silver-leaved poplar, Abele Tree, Gin-doro, Xin bai yang
Af: Witpopulier
Sq: Plepi i bardhë
Ar: حور أبيض
Hy: Բարդի սպիտակ
Av: ХахIцIул
Az: Ağcaqovaq (bitki)
Eu: Zurzuri
Be: Таполя белая
Bg: Бяла топола
Ca: Àlber, Poll blanc, Popul blanc
Zh: Xin bai yang, 河北杨
Co: Albaru
Hr: Bijela topola
Cs: Topol bílý, Linda
Da: Sølv-Poppel
Nl: Witte abeel
Eo: Blanka poplo
Et: Hõbepappel, Hõbehaab
Fi: Hopeahaapa, Hopeapoppeli
Fr: Peuplier blanc, Abèle, Peuplier argenté, Peuplier blanc de Hollande, Peuplier à feuille d’érable, Peuplier de Hollande, Peuplier grisard, Peuplier gris de l’Oise
Gl: Álamo Branco
De: Silber-Pappel, Silberpappel, Weißpappel
He: צפצפה מכסיפה
Hu: Fehér nyár
Is: Silfurösp
Ga: Poibleog gheal
It: Gattice, Pioppo bianco
Ja: Gin-doro, Urajiro-hako-yanagi, Hakuyō
Kk: Aq terek, Ақ терек, اق تەرەك
Ko: Eunbaegyang, 은백양
Lv: Baltā apse, Balt
Lt: Baltoji tuopa
No: Sølvpoppel
Nb: Sølvpoppel
Nn: Sølvpoppel
Oc: Albar
Fa: سپیدار سفید
Pl: Topola biała
Pt: Choupo-branco, Álamo-branco, Álamo-prateado, Choupo branco
Ro: Plop alb
Ru: Topol’ serebristyj, Тополь белый
Sc: Fustialvu
Sr: Бела топола
Sk: Topoľ biely
Es: Álamo blanco, Beli topol, Alamo blanco, Alamo-blanco, Chopo blanco, Populus alba
Sv: Silverpoppel, Hopeapoppeli, Vitpoppel
Zh-tw: 河北楊
Zh-hant: 河北楊
Tr: Ak kavak
Uk: Тополя біла
Cy: Poplysen wen, Aethnen Wen, Gwiwydden, Peisgwyn, Poplys Gwynion, Poplysen
Synonyms
- Populus viminalis (Poir.)
- Populus paletskyana (Dode)
- Populus nigra (Mill.)
- Populus arbeel (Curtis)
- Populus subintegerrima ((Lange) Sennen & Mauricio)
- Populus acerifolia (Lodd. ex Loudon)
- Populus arembergica (Lodd. ex Loudon)
- Populus alba var. acerifolia (Loudon)
- Populus nivea ((Aiton) Willd.)
- Populus alba var. subintegerrima (Lange)
- Populus alba var. integrifolia (Ball)
- Populus grisea (Lodd. ex Loudon)
- Populus alba var. salomonii ((Carrière) Wesm.)
- Populus hickeliana var. tremulifolia (Dode & Sennen)
- Populus alba var. nutans (Sudw.)
- Populus alba var. bolleana ((Lauche) Ed.Otto)
- Populus alba var. caspica (Bornm.)
- Populus bachofenii (Wierzb. ex Rchb.)
- Populus major (Mill.)
- Populus alba f. globosa (Dippel)
- Populus pseudonivea (Grossh.)
- Populus excelsa (Salisb.)
- Populus caspica ((Bornm.) Bornm.)
- Populus alba f. nivea ((Aiton) C.K.Schneid.)
- Populus palmata (Loudon)
- Populus arembergiana (Dippel)
- Populus quercifolia (Loudon)
- Populus alba var. denudata ((A.Braun) Wesm.)
- Populus subintegerrima var. berkanensis (Sennen & Mauricio)
- Populus alba umbraculifera (Sudw.)
- Populus alba var. pyramidalis (Bunge)
- Populus alba subsp. nivea ((Aiton) Maire & Weiller)
- Populus bolleana (Lauche)
- Populus alba var. microphylla (Maire)
- Populus alba f. pyramidalis ((Bunge) Dippel)
- Populus alba var. hickeliana ((Dode) Fiori)
- Populus hybrida (M.Bieb.)
- Populus triloba (Dode)
- Populus alba f. pendula ((Loudon) Dippel)
- Populus alba var. crispa (Mérat)
- Populus belgica (Lodd. ex Loudon)
- Populus berkarensis (Poljakov)
- Populus aegyptiaca (W.Baxter)
- Populus morisetiana (Dode)
- Populus alba var. bachofenii ((Wierzb. ex Rchb.) Wesm.)
- Populus alba var. pendula (Loudon)
- Leuce alba ((L.) Opiz)
- Populus nivea salomonii (Carrière)
- Populus hickeliana (Dode)
- Populus alba f. richardii (Beissn.)
- Populus intermedia (Mert. ex Loudon)
- Populus alba var. nivea (Aiton)
- Populus hyrcana (Grossh.)
- Populus pendula (Steud.)
Distribution
- Afghanistan (native)
- Albania (native)
- Algeria (native)
- Altay (native)
- Austria (native)
- Bulgaria (native)
- Central European Rus (native)
- Corse (native)
- Czechoslovakia (native)
- East Aegean Is. (native)
- East European Russia (native)
- France (native)
- Germany (native)
- Greece (native)
- Hungary (native)
- Iran (native)
- Italy (native)
- Kazakhstan (native)
- Kriti (native)
- Lebanon-Syria (native)
- Libya (native)
- Morocco (native)
- North Caucasus (native)
- Pakistan (native)
- Poland (native)
- Portugal (native)
- Romania (native)
- Sardegna (native)
- Sicilia (native)
- South European Russi (native)
- Spain (native)
- Switzerland (native)
- Tadzhikistan (native)
- Transcaucasus (native)
- Tunisia (native)
- Turkey (native)
- Turkmenistan (native)
- Ukraine (native)
- Uzbekistan (native)
- West Himalaya (native)
- West Siberia (native)
- Xinjiang (native)
- Yugoslavia (native)
- Alabama (introduced)
- Angola (introduced)
- Argentina Northeast (introduced)
- Argentina South (introduced)
- Azores (introduced)
- Baleares (introduced)
- Baltic States (introduced)
- Belgium (introduced)
- Bolivia (introduced)
- Canary Is. (introduced)
- China North-Central (introduced)
- China Southeast (introduced)
- Colorado (introduced)
- Cyprus (introduced)
- Denmark (introduced)
- Falkland Is. (introduced)
- Free State (introduced)
- Great Britain (introduced)
- Guatemala (introduced)
- Illinois (introduced)
- Inner Mongolia (introduced)
- Iraq (introduced)
- Ireland (introduced)
- Japan (introduced)
- Kentucky (introduced)
- Korea (introduced)
- Krasnoyarsk (introduced)
- Lesotho (introduced)
- Madeira (introduced)
- Manchuria (introduced)
- Maryland (introduced)
- Mexico Southwest (introduced)
- Minnesota (introduced)
- Netherlands (introduced)
- New Mexico (introduced)
- New South Wales (introduced)
- New York (introduced)
- Newfoundland (introduced)
- North European Russi (introduced)
- Northern Provinces (introduced)
- Northwest European R (introduced)
- Palestine (introduced)
- Primorye (introduced)
- Qinghai (introduced)
- Queensland (introduced)
- Rwanda (introduced)
- South Australia (introduced)
- St.Helena (introduced)
- Sweden (introduced)
- Tasmania (introduced)
- Tennessee (introduced)
- Vermont (introduced)
- Victoria (introduced)
- Wisconsin (introduced)
Additional Images
Leaf
Taken May 10, 2021 by Alain Bigou (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 10, 2021 by Helena Del Pozo (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 7, 2021 by Emmanuel P (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 10, 2021 by Helena Del Pozo (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 18, 2017 by Philippe Feldmann (cc-by-sa)
Habit
Taken Jan 1, 2021 by Monteiro Henrique (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 18, 2022 by Alberto Sala (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 10, 2021 by Alain Bigou (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 16, 2020 by Laurent Lag (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 7, 2021 by Emmanuel P (cc-by-sa)
Bark
Taken Jan 1, 2021 by Monteiro Henrique (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 8, 2019 by fabio (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 10, 2021 by Alain Bigou (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 8, 2019 by fabio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 7, 2021 by Emmanuel P (cc-by-sa)
Other
Taken Sep 21, 2021 by Hugo SARRAUT (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 8, 2020 by iserte jose (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 7, 2014 by Tela Botanica − Liliane Roubaudi (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 7, 2014 by Tela Botanica − Liliane Roubaudi (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 27, 2021 by Jean-René Girardeau (cc-by-sa)
Fruit
Taken Apr 24, 2020 by Dieter Wagner (cc-by-sa)
Taken Apr 15, 2022 by Sastre Oriol (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 5, 2019 by Mihai rad (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 4, 2019 by Marek Jancák (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 1, 2017 by Cruz Fer (cc-by-sa)
Flower
Taken Jun 30, 2021 by Thomas Christmann (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 22, 2018 by Jordi Riera (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 7, 2020 by catherine chauffray (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 1, 2017 by Cruz Fer (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 26, 2018 by francois tissot (cc-by-sa)
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:776573-1)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/3040233)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Populus alba L.)
Specifications
Growth form: Single Stem
Growth habit: Tree
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth
Ph maximum: 7.0
Ph minimum: 4.9
Light: 8
Atmospheric humidity: 8
Soil nutriments: 7