Poplars are useful as screens and windbreaks and like damp soils

One of my favourite areas of Harlow Carr is the poplar glade, situated in our arboretum. Apart from being a nice place to rest weary legs, it’s also a lovely spot to sit and observe the beauty of these captivating trees as they grow and develop; their slightly ominous appearance means they wouldn’t look out of place in a Brothers Grimm fairy tale!

Poplars normally starts off as one tree, then a series of small saplings sprout out from the roots and form a glade; they continue to spread for quite some distance if not controlled. Part of the willow family, they like damp soils and have a fast growth rate. There are around 35 species of poplar, along with natural hybrids. They are broadly distributed throughout the northern temperate regions ranging from North America, Eurasia and parts of North Africa; some species can even be found beyond the Arctic Circle. Certain species can reach heights of around 50m and 2.5m in diameter. The leaves are alternate and ovate or heart shaped.

The male and female flowers are born on separate trees, which makes for a lovely display of catkins in the early spring. The fruit is small and thick walled with tiny seeds covered in silk-like hairs which act like sails to help wind dispersal. The white poplar (Populus alba) has maple-like leaves and a silvery under side. In the breeze it sometimes appears to be covered in snow. The bark also has distinctive dark diamond shapes called lenticels which act like pores for the tree to exchange gases in and out of the trunk. The poplar is most commonly known as the aspen (Populus tremula) which are native to cool, temperate regions such as Europe and Asia. They also go by the common name quaking aspen. The leaves have a long stem so move freely with the breeze, hence the name.

The poplar has many uses as it is very flexible. Nowadays it’s widely used for paper, hard wood timber, pallets, plywood and smaller items such as the casing around Camembert cheese. Many people plant poplars for screens and wind breaks along fence lines. They're also planted in wet areas to clean contaminated ground water. Due to its flexibility, it is ideal for the core of snowboards and is also used in some musical instruments such as guitars and violins. The ancient Greeks and Etruscan used poplar wood for shields, and it also had a place in the art world: it was first used in Italy for panel paintings, the most famous of these being the Mona Lisa which is painted on popular wood.

So, when you’re next visiting the garden, make sure you pass by the poplar glade and take a look at these marvellous trees. They look appealing all year round, be it in the summer with the beautiful leaves blowing in the breeze or in winter with the stand-out bark.

Jobs for the week

* Prune your wisteria and tie it in, ready for spring

* Prune roses

* Start ordering vegetable seed

* Clean out the greenhouse ready for spring sowing.

With thanks to Katy Trohear, Horticulturist at RHS Garden Harlow Carr

DIARY DATES

18 – 26 February: Half Term Fun ‘Whatever the Weather’ Become a weather detective at RHS Garden Harlow Carr during February Half Term. Create your own windsocks and weather charts with the experts from the Royal Meteorological Society; visit our wacky weather station, take part in a weather hunters’ daily garden trail and enjoy tales of wild weather and stormy seas. Normal garden admission.

Until 26 Feb: Bath House Gallery & Library - Gardens Behind Barbed Wire A remarkable piece of World War One history is told in this exhibition. ‘Gardens Behind Barbed Wire’ tells the ‘forgotten’ story of an intrepid group of British men who set up a horticultural society in the Ruhleben internment camp in Germany and helped to feed their fellow prisoners throughout the War.