It’s better to be prepared in advance: the time when poplar fluff appears on the streets

The most common tree in many countries is poplar. This is a cult in China (the unity of yin and yang), Eurasia and America. It even grows in Africa. In legends, the poplar is the personification of opposites (summer snow), and the leaves always tremble at the slightest breeze.

Aspens are also trembling poplars. In past centuries, it was believed that poplars protect and protect people from spirits; they remove negative energy and evil thoughts.

So does fluff cause allergies or not?

Allergists unanimously refute all attacks on poplar, claiming that poplar fluff does not cause allergies, but can provoke them. The period of summer fluff coincides with the flowering period of cereal grasses, birch, linden and other plants, the pollen of which causes very unpleasant and even life-threatening allergic reactions in sensitive people. And fluff is a carrier of pollen, various pathogens, and man-made pollutants.

The fluff itself is also unpleasant, being a purely mechanical irritant - in the heat it sticks to the body, tickles, gets into the nose, ears, and under glasses. Agree, it’s not very pleasant.

Besides, even without fluff, life in the city is full of troubles.

People suffering from hay fever - a reaction to pollen - can be advised not to leave the house without a gauze bandage, not to keep windows and balcony doors open for a long time, to use allergy medications prescribed by a doctor and in no case to self-medicate with herbal infusions and decoctions - this can be done instead relief to sharply worsen your condition.

But this is not the only harmfulness of fluff. It penetrates the premises, accumulating in the corners in lush snowdrifts and piles, adding to the hassle of cleaning. The fluffs themselves are dry, volatile, weightless, and very flammable. Fluff is a fire hazard; one unextinguished cigarette butt thrown into the trash can can lead to a fire. And children often have fun throwing lit matches into the fluff.

The genus and its representatives

Olga Nikitina

The genus Poplar (Populus) belongs to the willow family and has about 110 species distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. These are dioecious, fast-growing, deciduous trees up to 60 m high and over 1 m in diameter, whose trunks are covered with fissured brown-gray or dark gray bark. Depending on the type, the crown can be tent-shaped, ovoid, pyramidal or weeping.

The leaves are petiolate, the shape of the leaf blade varies from round or ovate to diamond-shaped, deltoid or lanceolate.

Pistillate and staminate flowers are arranged in erect or pendulous catkins. Poplars bloom in early spring before the leaves appear.

The fruit is a bivalve capsule with numerous small seeds equipped with tufts of fine silky hairs. The wood of poplars is diffusely vascular, white, and easy to process; used mainly in paper production, as well as for match logs and container boards.

The lifespan of poplars is relatively short; they live up to 120–150 years.

These trees are propagated by seed and vegetative methods (green and root cuttings, planting root suckers). Plants obtained from cuttings initially grow much faster than specimens of seed origin.

Poplars are light-loving, demanding on soil fertility and good aeration, and do not tolerate waterlogging. The root system is developed, extending far beyond the crown projection; the trees are not wind-fallen.

Poplars are planted at a distance of 1.5–4 m, while the root collar should be at ground level. Since soil subsidence occurs after planting, it must be done to a depth at which the root ball will be 10–20 cm higher than the final position, especially for large-sized specimens.

Poplars prefer a soil mixture consisting of turf soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 3: 2: 2. On heavy soils, drainage in the form of broken bricks and sand is required at 1/3 of the depth of the planting hole.

Kemira Universal (100–120 g/m2) is used as a top dressing and to accelerate the growth of shoots in the spring.

Watering is carried out at the rate of 2–2.5 buckets per plant, so that the soil is saturated to the depth of the roots. Loosening the tree trunk circles is necessary to retain moisture in the soil after each watering.

Speaking about poplar, one cannot fail to mention the problem of poplar fluff. In fact, hairy seeds are not allergens, they are just mechanical irritants of the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose. But the time of seed ripening in central Russia coincides with the flowering of allergenic cereals, such as bluegrass, fescue, and timothy, which grow in populated areas. Microscopic pollen of cereals moves with air currents, and also settles on poplar seeds and is transported over long distances. The problem of poplar fluff can be solved by planting only male specimens or hybrid poplars that do not have female specimens on city streets.

Academician A.L. Takhtadzhyan, our contemporary and creator of a new phylogenetic system for classifying higher plants, divided this genus into 7 natural groups.

Aspens are the most common group of poplars, the buds and leaves of which do not emit fragrant resin, and the leaf blades are wide, with a wavy-toothed edge and long petioles.

White poplars are very similar to aspens, but they only have the characteristic palmate-lobed shape of the leaves of the shoots and abundant white-tomentose pubescence on the underside of these leaves.

Turangi are poplars that can grow in hot and dry climates. One tree can have leaves of different shapes (narrow, long and round).

Black, or delta-shaped, poplars are confined to riverine and floodplain habitats; they are characterized by delta-shaped leaves on long petioles.

Balsam poplars have leaves and buds covered with a fragrant resin. They differ from other groups by the presence of true shortened shoots with 2–5 leaves, close to each other.

Mexican poplars are native to the northern highlands of Mexico and surrounding areas of the United States. Morphologically similar to aspens and black poplars, but differ in the small size of all organs.

Leucoid poplars are a relict group with a discontinuous range, found in the southeastern United States, as well as in southern China and the Himalayas. Representatives of this group are small trees with large leaves, buds and catkins.

Poplars are dioecious, fast-growing deciduous trees up to 60 m high and over 1 m in diameter.

Trembling poplar , or aspen (P. tremula), has a wide range: the forest-tundra zone in the European part of Russia, Siberia, the Far East, Crimea, the Caucasus, Manchuria, North Korea. The tree is 30–35 m high and up to 1 m in diameter. The crown is ovoid, rather sparse. The leaves are rounded, on long petioles, which, with a large leaf blade, makes the leaf unstable (hence the specific name). Aspen wood burns without soot, so it is used for match wood and for smoking meat and fish products, as well as for log houses of wells and interior decoration of bathhouses, since it does not rot for a long time.

White or silver (P. alba) is a powerful tree up to 35 m high and up to 2 m in diameter. Its wide-spreading crown is decorated with dark green shiny leaves with white felt pubescence on the underside. It grows in the floodplains of large rivers in rich and well-moistened soils. Quite resistant to some soil salinity.

Where does Poplar grow?

There are about 90 species of this tree. One of the rarest trees listed in the Red Book is Black Poplar.

Poplar belongs to the willow family. In nature, it can be found along river banks and on hillsides, however, it is most often found along roads and in parks in cities and towns.

Wild species are extremely sensitive to soil moisture. That is why Poplars are not found near swamps and swamps. Cultivated plants, on the contrary, take root well in almost any soil and even in heavily polluted areas.

Various types of Poplars grow in Siberia, Northwestern Russia, the Far East, America, Mexico, China and even East Africa.

Poplar grows very quickly and within 40 years reaches incredible sizes. The maximum age of such a Poplar reaches 150 years. There are known cases when the age of the Black Poplar was about 400 years.

Useful properties of poplar

Poplar is indispensable for its unique ability to purify air from various gases, smoke and harmful substances. This is the best tree for endurance and cleaning the environment, it has no equal. In terms of the amount of oxygen produced, poplar is much superior to the famous pine or spruce.

In large cities it is an important element for maintaining the environment. Used in squares, parks and along highways.

Wood is used as raw material for the production of paper, plywood, matches, and charcoal.

The tree is also often used by wood carvers. The lightness of poplar bark is used for floats.

Silk, furniture, and containers are made from wood. Paint is prepared from poplar leaves.

Reference! Poplars sometimes change gender! Sometimes female catkins may appear on a male tree. Scientists consider this phenomenon to be the influence of negative ecology.

Mistake or oversight?

As a result, residents of the entire country are doomed to eternal “downy” torment. Why did this happen? And - the eternal question - Who is to blame?

Did the scientists make a mistake in their choice? The answer is no, we were not mistaken. So what's the big deal then?

Poplar is a dioecious plant, meaning it has male and female trees. The male ones bloom, giving pollen, pollinating the female ones, and the female ones already produce seeds equipped with downy fluff - the hated down.

A reasonable question: Was it really impossible to plant only male specimens?

So that’s exactly what was done! Only male plants were planted - and this became a fatal coincidence. You can’t fool nature, and this was perfectly demonstrated by the example of poplars. It is known that plants, some animals and insects in certain situations, adapting to living conditions, are capable of changing sex. After all, the trees had to reproduce, so they found a way out. To everyone's horror and displeasure, botanists, dendrologists, and other industry specialists have observed the appearance of female catkins on male poplars, on branches next to the male flowers.

By the way, it should be clarified. Poplar fluff is not flowers, but poplar seeds. Poplar blooms even before the leaves appear; its male catkins appear immediately after the buds burst.

Healing properties of poplar

Widely used in medicines: buds, seeds and even poplar bark:

• The bark contains a lot of tannins, alkaloids and glycosides - decoctions from poplar bark have a beneficial effect on the nerves.
• The astringent effect of tannins is good for treating gastrointestinal diseases.
• Decoctions from poplar buds are very useful - they strengthen the body and help with inflammation.
• Infusions from the leaves heal wounds.
• Helps with insomnia and depression.
• If you grind poplar buds into powder well with other herbs, they will stop hair loss. The ointment will revive old hair follicles.

During the famine, residents dried the bast layer (it is under the poplar bark), crushed it and added it to flour, then baked bread. The vitamins contained in poplar are beneficial for the body.

Poplar has repeatedly saved people from many troubles for a long time. Here is such a unique tree - POPLER, which has no analogues in the world.

Image of Poplar

Under the tall gloomy old Poplars they signed important documents and took oaths.
During the era of revolutions, Poplar was a symbol of the people's struggle for freedom and rights.

At the same time, in Chinese traditions, wood meant the unity of opposites - yin and yang. Thanks to their flowers, Poplar leaves represented black and white, beginning and end.

In folk tales, Poplar personified a gentle and subtle nature. The Poplar leaves, like the Aspen leaves, trembled in the wind.

Since ancient times, it was believed that Poplars were able to absorb negative energy and protect the house from evil spirits. Like guards, tall trees stood on the streets in cities and villages. Many old-timers believe that trees cannot endlessly absorb evil thoughts and, in the end, give a lot to the world.

Poplar: description with photo, habit. Types and varieties of poplar in landscape design

White poplar (silver) (Populus alba)

White poplar is a large deciduous tree. It grows very quickly (especially in the first 20-25 years), but only on fertile and sufficiently moist soils. Tolerates soil salinity. Photophilous. Can grow in partial shade. Loves moist soils and tolerates prolonged flooding. Can tolerate dry conditions. Winter-hardy. It strengthens the banks of rivers and reservoirs well.

dark green, white-felt underneath

White poplar (silver) Nivea (Populus alba Nivea)

White poplar Nivea has silvery-white leaves that retain their color for a long time, without changing color much even in autumn. The growth rate is very fast. Winter-hardy, frost-hardy. Light-loving, but tolerates shady areas. Drought resistant. Prefers moist and fertile soils. Used in park and urban landscaping.

Pyramid poplar (Populus pyramidalis)

Pyramidal poplar has a very narrow crown. The branches come from the base of the trunk. With its monumental, pyramidal, dark green crown it gives a special, southern character to the landscape, reminiscent of slender, pyramidal cypress trees. Good for quickly creating green protective walls. Does not produce fluff. A very impressive tree in single, group, row and alley plantings.

Ascending gray branches form a narrow pyramidal crown. The leaves are 7 cm long, usually five-lobed. They are glossy green on top and silvery-white felt underneath, creating a shimmering effect when they sway in the wind. In heavily windy places, young specimens require support. Excessive root suckers can be a problem. The height and diameter of the plant is 15x5 m (20 years). Maximum height is 20 m.

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Rising gray branches

P. alba "Richardii"

The leaves are 6-12 cm long, golden-yellow on top, silvery-felt underneath. The height and diameter of the plant is 10x6 m (20 years). Maximum height - 15 m.

P. alba "Richardii"

Very powerful trees with almost triangular light yellow leaves 8 cm long, which turn golden in autumn. The height and diameter of the plant is 16x12 m (20 years). Maximum height - 20 m.

Very powerful trees with almost triangular light yellow leaves

The leaves are broadly oval, up to 12 cm long, fragrant with pine needles, colored in different shades of cream, pink and green. In middle age, these trees are usually severely affected by cancer. The height and diameter of the plant is 16x8 m (20 years). Maximum height - 18 m.

Broad oval leaves

A pyramidal, slowly growing tree with triangular yellow leaves up to 8 cm long. The height and diameter of the plant is 5x1.5 m (20 years). Maximum height - 8 m.

Pyramidal, slow growing tree

One of the most unpretentious weeping trees, more suitable for standard garden plots than ordinary aspen. Prefers moist, fertile soil, but grows well in a variety of soil types, even in the city. In early spring, grayish-purple catkins form before the rounded leaves bloom.

One of the most unpretentious weeping trees

The height of poplar trees ranges from 30 to 60 meters, the diameter of the trunk is about a meter. Poplars grow very quickly and already at the age of forty years they acquire their final height (if they grow, it is not much), for which at one time this plant was given preference when landscaping streets.

Poplar roots are thick, strong, and in many species they are located superficially, and therefore extend quite far away from the tree. At the same time, some species, for example, silver poplar, produce many offspring on their roots, from which new trees grow.

The wood of the tree is soft and very light, the trunk is straight, the crown can have a wide variety of shapes: tent-shaped, ovoid, ovoid-pyramidal or pyramidal poplar is often found. The gray bark of a tree becomes covered with small cracks with age, while a poplar branch, on the contrary, has a smooth bark.

Both the leaves and flowers of the plant develop from the poplar bud. Poplar leaves are petiolate, arranged in a spiral along the branch; in some species the poplar leaves are pubescent, in others they are bare. It is interesting that the shape of a poplar leaf largely depends on the shoot on which it grew and even its location on it. Therefore, the same poplar leaves can have a wide variety of leaves - narrow, medium, wide.

Poplar has become very widespread in the temperate latitudes of North America and Eurasia. It is found in the subtropical parts of China, Mexico and some regions of East Africa. The poplar leaf is relatively small in size; the tree itself prefers areas with high humidity, so it often grows on river banks and moist slopes.

Why did they start planting poplars in cities?

Poplars have been used in urban landscaping since 1946. After the Great Patriotic War, it was necessary to restore the appearance of Moscow as quickly as possible and replace the lost trees. It should be noted that previously in landscaping to create parks, gardens, shady areas, hedges and protective strips, coniferous and deciduous tree species were used - spruce, pine, larch, birch, bird cherry, apple tree, maple, ash, elm, oak, as well as shrubs - lilac, hawthorn, mock orange, acacia, bladderwort and some other species, but poplar was not used for these purposes.

The lost mature trees urgently needed to be replaced with something. Dendrologists suggested Balsam Poplar - it is distinguished by its rapid growth, dense crown, ease of reproduction, resistance to urban conditions, decorative appearance, occupies a smaller area than other trees, due to the compactness of the crown, and is relatively cheap. The proposal was considered, the landscaping program was approved by Stalin, and poplars came to Moscow and began their victorious march across the country. And, by the way, they fulfilled their task perfectly. But…

Photo of poplar