Side by side
White poplar or silver lime? How to tell them apart
Populus alba · Tilia tomentosa
How to tell them apart – white poplar: also white underneath, but the leaf is lobed or wavy-toothed and the trunk whitish grey; silver lime: lime whose leaves are silvery-white felted underneath, in the wind the crown seems to shimmer.
How do you recognise them?
- White poplar
- Leaf with a snow-white, felted underside; on long shoots lobed like a maple leaf.
- Compared with silver lime: also white underneath, but the leaf is lobed or wavy-toothed and the trunk whitish grey.
- Silver lime
- Lime whose leaves are silvery-white felted underneath: in the wind the crown seems to shimmer.
| White poplar | Silver lime | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate; on long shoots palmate with 3–5 lobes, on short shoots oval with wavy teeth. Underside and young twigs white-felted. | Alternate, 8–12 cm, rounded heart-shaped with a short pointed tip, sharply toothed; dark green above, silvery-white felted below with star-shaped hairs. Leaf stalk shorter than half the blade. |
| Flowering | March | Hanging clusters of 5–10 strongly scented, yellowish-white flowers, late July–August: the last lime to flower (July–August). |
| Fruit | Catkins in March; fluffy seeds in May. | Egg-shaped, felted nutlets with five faint ribs. |
| Bark | Whitish-grey with rows of dark, diamond-shaped lenticels; dark and fissured at the base of the trunk. | Grey, smooth for a long time, later with a regular network of shallow ridges; young twigs white-felted. |
| Shape and height | Broadleaf tree, 15–30 m | Broadleaf tree, 20–30 m |
| Site | Full sun, any garden soil, dry to wet | Full sun, any garden soil, dry |
| Native to Belgium | No, naturalised | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for butterflies | – |
| 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?
- White poplar (15–30 m) and silver lime (20–30 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: White poplar
- Plant profile: Silver lime
- White poplar: when and how to prune
- Silver lime: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.