Everyone is familiar with the poplar (plant). The description of the poplar is also known to everyone, but there are some features of this tree that not everyone knows about. These are traditional ornamental plants that "live" in every settlement. They grow very fast, making beautiful green hedges. In ancient Greece, they planted squares with them and called them "folk" - "populus", from which the name of these plants came. All its types are ideal for both single and group plantings.
Alleys with poplars are a classic of park landscapes. One of the varieties of these plants is fragrant poplar. Description, care, reproduction of a fragrant tree - all this is discussed in this article.
What types of poplars exist in nature?
The genus of these plants has 110 species. Very beautiful poplar tree! Poplar species are all somewhat different from each other, they have become simply indispensable for landscaping parks and streets. Breeders have crossed them with each other, as a result of which there are now a lot of fast-growing hybrids.
Poplar species are divided into five sections:
1. Leucoid.
2. Mexican.
3. Turangi.
4. Deltoids.5. Balsamic.
Balsamic are fragrant poplars, which got their name because of their fragrant buds. It is these fragrant trees that will be discussed further in the article.
Fragrant poplar: description
The height of the fragrant poplar is about 20 m, the crown is dense, ovoid. The bark of the trunk is brown-gray, the branches are olive-gray. The root system is highly developed, powerful roots are located close to the surface and take up a lot of space.
Buds are resinous and, as mentioned earlier, fragrant. Young shoots are round, greenish-brown, resinous and very fragrant. The leaves are leathery, oval, pointed at the top. The color of the leaves is dark green, shiny above, and whitish below with pubescent petioles. With the leaves open, the flower immediately blooms.
The fragrant poplar is a dioecious plant. Monoecious species are very rare. The poplar begins to bloom even a little earlier than all the leaves fully bloom. Male and female specimens form spike-shaped inflorescences that differ in appearance. As they mature, they turn from erect to drooping. Among the people, such inflorescences are called earrings (earrings for men - 10 cm, women's earrings - 5 cm). At the beginning of summer, boxes ripen - poplar fruits. Very small seeds are equipped with a huge amount of the thinnest villi, this is the well-known poplar fluff.
Distribution locations
In nature, fragrant poplar is common inNorthern China, Eastern Siberia, Mongolia. This tree is also found in the reserves of the Far East and Siberia. It grows in floodplains and on islands, less often it can be seen in mountainous areas along small rivers and streams.
Reproduction
In the natural environment, fragrant poplar reproduces by seed. The same method can be used in nurseries, but there is one difficulty: the seeds must be sown immediately after being harvested, and they must be ripe. To achieve this, it is necessary, at the time when the poplar fluff flies, to choose a suitable place, enclose it and water it periodically with water. The site should be placed so that a large amount of fluff is collected on it. Due to such difficulties, the seed method is rarely used.
Propagation of poplar by cuttings is a way that is much easier and more convenient. For this, cuttings of only male poplar specimens are used, and this must be done before the buds begin to bloom. For rooting, take last year's shoots up to 12 cm long with two buds. It is recommended to plant them at a distance of at least 10 cm from each other, the kidneys should remain on the surface. Immediately after planting, it is necessary to water the cuttings well, then they need to be watered daily until they grow to 15 cm, then water as the earth dries. At the end of the year, the seedlings will be ready to "move" to a permanent place of residence.
There are poplar species that reproduce by root cuttings. But this method has biglimitations. Plants grown from cuttings have underdeveloped roots and are often affected by pests and diseases.
Fragrant poplar: care, cultivation
When young, the tree grows very quickly, for which it is valued when creating living fences. Poplar fragrant loves sunny places, tolerates too wet soil, is able to withstand severe frosts. The tree is quite unpretentious, but prefers fertile, well-aerated, mineral-rich soils. In cities, poplar does not live long, although it gives a lot of shoots.
As mentioned earlier, this fragrant plant is unpretentious and does not require special care, but some rules still need to be followed so that the poplar will please with its beauty. The land around the tree should be aerated, for this it is necessary to periodically loosen it and weed out. The soil surface must not be allowed to sod, this can lead to the death of the plant. To avoid such trouble, shrubs are planted next to the poplar.
Poplar does not need a haircut. To maintain the beautiful appearance of the plant, you need to remove dry branches and lower branches in time.
Diseases and pests
Like every other plant, fragrant poplar sometimes gets sick and is attacked by pests from time to time. The most common diseases of these beautiful trees are some types of necrosis and cancer. The diseased tree must be urgently cut down, and the stump treated with fuel oil.
Young plants are often exposed to fungal diseases. In this case, you need to urgentlyapply silvicultural and agrotechnical measures. In addition, waterlogging of the soil should not be allowed.
The list of poplar pests is quite large. There are a lot of insects that like to lay their larvae on the leaves of trees. To combat them, insecticides are used. Each pest has its own drug, so first you need to find out which enemies attacked the tree, and then look for “weapons” against them.
Curious poplar facts
How poplar looks like and what poplar fluff is, even children know, but besides this, there are many interesting facts about this beautiful tree:
1. Poplar leaves emit aromatic substances, thanks to which a breathtaking aroma hovers around, and they also disinfect the air.
2. Poplar blossoms and leaves are used to make natural dyes.
3. Black poplar buds are used in the manufacture of "Riga Balsam" and are used in folk medicine to treat many diseases.
4. Poplars are valued for their beautiful crown shape. In addition, they have very beautiful foliage. In some species, it sometimes turns yellow or golden in autumn.
5. Poplar leaves are located very close to each other, at the slightest breath of breeze they touch and emit a very unusual and pleasant “whisper”.
