Poplars are among the turbo-growth candidates among domestic deciduous trees. Her age is quite astonishing. Read this article to find out how long you can enjoy a poplar tree.
How old can poplar trees get?
Poplar trees can live to be 100 to 300 years old, depending on the species. The longest-lived species of poplar is the black poplar, which can live up to 300 years. The balsam poplar reaches 100-150 years and the aspen, also called quaking aspen, reaches about 100 years.
Poplars are for the impatient
If you want to plant a poplar on your property for privacy and wind protection, you have made a good choice. Because you don't have to wait long to achieve the desired effect. Poplars grow at an enormous rate of up to one meter per year. This means that a property boundary can be separated from the outside very quickly. In addition, poplars provide a pleasant shade with their varied and light-foliated crowns.
Because of their rapid growth, poplars are also very popular as avenue trees on public roads.
Overall, depending on the species, poplars reach a total height of 15 to 45 meters.
To remember:
- Very high growth rate of up to one meter per year
- Therefore well suited for quick property demarcation
- Total height between 15 and 45 meters
How long a poplar tree provides shade and protection from the wind depends primarily on the species.
The age of the individual poplar species
Overall, poplars are among the native deciduous trees with a medium life expectancy. In the wild they live to about the same age as ash or beech trees. When used commercially on short-rotation plantations, they are of course not left standing until their natural end of life, but are felled and used after about a quarter of their normal lifespan.
Most poplar species can live between 100 and 300 years.
The black poplar is probably the most enduring candidate. Their gnarled, powerful appearance, which is somewhat reminiscent of the Methuselah of European deciduous trees, the English oak, fits in well with this. There are specimens of black poplars that are 300 years old. When the site conditions are favorable, the species reaches an impressive 30 meters in height.
The balsam poplar, which is particularly popular for its ethereal scent, can also grow up to 80 cm per year and reaches a total of around 15 to 20 meters. It won't be quite as old as the black poplar, but rather only 100-150 years.
The well-known aspen, the quaking aspen, also remains a little smaller and does not grow as old as the black poplar. It reaches a height of around 20 meters, and even more in good locations. She reached the end of her life after about 100 years.
