White Poplar

Other names: Silver Poplar, Silver-leaf Poplar and Abele 

Scientific name: Populus tremuloides, populus alba

Common names:

Ayurvedic names:

Chinese names:

Bangladesh names:

Arabic names:    الحور الأبيض (al hooru l’abyad)

Rain Forest names:

Family: Saliceceae

Approximate number of species known:  Populus (25-35) sometimes called aspen or cottonwood

Common parts used: Bark

Collection:

Annual/Perennial: Perennial

Height: Up to 27 metres

Actions: Antibacterial, antiplatelet

Known Constituents: pyrocatechol and salicyl alcohol

Constituents Explained:

Description: 

Native to Spain and Morocco, Central Europe and Central Asia.

In North America it is considered a weed, and is banned in Connecticut.

The trunk is thick with a diameter of upto 1m.  The White Poplar trunk has distinuighing diamond marks on it’s trunk.  It needs goow light and moisture.

The roots can grow 20-30m from the tree.  It has attractive green and white leaves which see it’s used as an ornamental tree, but it’s lengthy roots mean it can be troublesome.

It has a smooth bark greenish-white or greyish-white.

It can intervreed with the species populus tremula, and the hybrid is called Grey Poplar (populus x canescens).  The hybrid can grow upto 40m, with a trunk upto 1.5m. Normally they are male trees, but very occasionally female.

The leaves are 4-15cm long with five lobes.

The flowers grow upto 8cm

A species of poplar closely related to the Aspens (more info)

Traditional Use:

Used for rheumatism.  Used to stimulate digestive and liver function.  Sometimes used as an astrigent for diarrhea.

Clinical Studies: