Populus alba 'Richardii'
(White Poplar 'Richardii')
Family - Salicaceae
Category - Tree
Year of Introduction - 1910
Season of Interest - Spring, Summer, Autumn
Hardiness - H6
Height - up to 12m if left unpruned
Width - up to 8m if unpruned
Description: If left unpruned, Populus alba 'Richardii' will form a medium-sized, Deciduous tree with a suckering habit and spreading branches. At Malverleys it is used as a cut-back plant to maintain the appearance and size of foliage on young trees and also to control the overall size. Ovate to rounded leaves are variable in shape and have pinnatifid to palmate lobing. The young stems and leaves are covered in white wool and as the leaves develop the upper surfaces turn to a bright shade of yellowish-green. If pollarded these features will be retained.
Populus alba 'Richardii' is Dioecious (male and female flowers are held on separate plants). Red flowers on male plants or green flowers on female plants are held in pendent catkins and produced in early spring. The female flowers will be followed by white fluffy seeds in late summer.
The foliage will turn yellow in autumn before falling.
Flower:
Dioecious (male and female flowers are produced on separate plants). Red flowers are produced on male plants and green flowers on female plants. The flowers are held in pendent catkins in early spring. On female plants the flowers (if pollinated) will be followed by white fluffy seeds.
Flower colour: Red, green
Flower shape: Catkins
Flowering time: March
Foliage:
Ovate to rounded leaves are variable in shape and have pinnatifid to palmate lobing. The young stems and leaves are covered in white wool and will turn to bright greenish-yellow on the upper surfaces. The leaves are Alternately arranged along the branches and turn yellow in autumn before falling.
Foliage Senescence: Deciduous
Foliage Shape: Ovate to rounded with pinnatifid to palmate lobing
Autumn Colour: Yellow
Propagation:
Cuttings
Cultivation:
Best in full sun in most garden soils.