The poplar
The Wood Guide · The forests
The forest series · tree portraitThe poplar
Rows of poplars along the road are a sight everyone in Flanders knows. And it is the fastest-growing tree we have — ready for harvest in fifteen years.
- Populus
- Ready for harvest in 15 to 25 years
- Hardwood, softer than spruce
The poplar in brief
From the genus Populus. In the Flemish and Dutch landscape best known from the long rows along roads, dykes and field edges.
What makes the poplar special is its speed. Where an oak needs a hundred years and a spruce sixty, a poplar is ready for harvest after fifteen to twenty-five years. That makes it one of the few European trees that give you several full harvests within one human lifetime.
The wood it yields is light, soft and pale — and botanically a hardwood, even though it is softer than spruce. Another example of why the division into hardwood and softwood says nothing about hardness.
Rows of poplars along roads and fields are no coincidence. They were planted as windbreaks for crops, to mark out plots, and as a savings account: a row of poplars was an investment the next generation could harvest. You see the same pattern in the Po Valley and in northern France.
- Botanical
- Populus (black poplar, Canadian poplar, aspen)
- Ready for harvest
- 15 to 25 years
- Height
- up to 30 metres
- Wood
- light, soft, pale
- Botanical group
- hardwood — softer than spruce
- Use
- matches, fruit crates, plywood cores, paper
To be fair: poplar burns poorly and rots quickly. It is not durable, holds screws only moderately, and dents at the slightest knock. It is not an option for garden furniture, construction or exterior work — it is a wood for uses where light weight and low cost are decisive.
In pictures · Rustling leaves and a straight trunk
Schematic drawing.
Rustling leaves and a straight trunk
The sound
The aspen (Populus tremula) has a flattened leaf stalk, so the leaves turn and rustle in the slightest breeze. You hear it before you see it.
Dead-straight trunk
Poplars grow remarkably straight and free of branches, which gives long, knot-free trunks — one of the reasons they are so easy to process.
Fluff in spring
The seeds hang on white fluffy tufts that are released en masse in May and June. Lovely in the landscape, less lovely in a gutter or on a patio.
Wet and light
Poplars want moist soil and plenty of light. In the shade of other trees they don't survive.
What poplar is used for
| Use | Why poplar | Distinctive |
|---|---|---|
| Matches and toothpicks | Light, soft, doesn't splinter | The classic use |
| Fruit and vegetable crates | Cheap, light, odourless | Doesn't taint the flavour |
| Plywood core | Light and stable | As inner layers beneath a finer veneer |
| Paper and cardboard | Fast regrowth, long fibre | Large market |
| Clogs | Soft and light | Traditional in the Low Countries |
| Exterior work | Unsuitable | Not durable |
Botanically, poplar is a broadleaf tree, and therefore a hardwood. But it is softer than spruce. Just as balsa shows, the classification is about botany, not hardness. See hardwood versus softwood.
Frequently asked questions about the poplar
How fast does a poplar grow?
Faster than any other European tree: ready for harvest after fifteen to twenty-five years, compared with sixty for spruce and a hundred for oak.
Is poplar a hardwood or a softwood?
Botanically a hardwood, because it comes from a broadleaf tree. But it is softer than spruce — one of the clearest examples that the classification says nothing about hardness.
What is poplar wood used for?
Matches, toothpicks, fruit crates, plywood cores, paper and clogs. Anywhere light weight and low cost count.
Can poplar be used outdoors?
No. It is not durable and rots quickly. For outdoor use, look at pressure-treated wood or a naturally durable species.
The poplar in perspective
A tree you can see harvested in full more than once within one lifetime.
Have a question about your project? Just ask — we're happy to help.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Populus × canadensis — AnRo0002, CC0