Side by side
Grey poplar or aspen? How to tell them apart
Populus × canescens · Populus tremula
How to tell them apart – grey poplar: poplar with a roundish, coarsely toothed leaf with a grey-felted underside, and a whitish-grey trunk with diamond-shaped lenticels; aspen: almost round, hairless leaf that trembles in the slightest breeze.
Photo: The original uploader was Keichwa at German Wikipedia., Photograph Keichwa, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Grey poplar Populus × canescens
How do you recognise them?
- Grey poplar
- Poplar with a roundish, coarsely toothed leaf with a grey-felted underside, and a whitish-grey trunk with diamond-shaped lenticels.
- Aspen
- Almost round leaf with coarse, wavy teeth that trembles in the slightest breeze.
- Compared with grey poplar: almost round, hairless leaf that trembles in the slightest breeze.
| Grey poplar | Aspen | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate; on short shoots roundish to oval, 4–8 cm, irregularly and coarsely toothed; on long shoots larger and slightly lobed. Underside grey-felted, often becoming almost hairless later. | Alternate, almost round, 3–7 cm, with coarse, wavy teeth. Long, sideways-flattened leaf stalk. |
| Flowering | Grey, hairy catkins in March, before the leaves (March). | Grey, hairy catkins in March (March). |
| Fruit | Fluffy seeds in May, on female trees. | Fluffy seeds in May. |
| Bark | Whitish grey with rows of dark, diamond-shaped lenticels; dark and furrowed at the base of the trunk. | Smooth, grey-green with diamond-shaped lenticels; darker at the base. |
| Shape and height | Broadleaf tree, 20–30 m | Broadleaf tree, 10–20 m |
| Site | Full sun, any garden soil, dry to wet | Full sun, any garden soil, dry to wet |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | Yes, for butterflies and birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | November–March | November–March |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Both are native and good for wildlife: choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have.
- Grey poplar (20–30 m) and aspen (10–20 m) both grow into large trees: too big for an ordinary garden, but fine in a large garden, a park or a meadow.
Read on
- Plant profile: Grey poplar
- Plant profile: Aspen
- Grey poplar: when and how to prune
- Aspen: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.