Agroforestry Services: Living trellis  Agroforestry Services: Windbreak  Fodder: Bank  Historic Crop  Industrial Crop: Biomass  Management: Coppice  Management: Standard  Other Systems: Irreg. Intercrop  Other Systems: SRC  Other Systems: Strip intercrop

A very easily grown plant, it does well in a heavy cold damp soil[1]. Prefers a deep rich well-drained circumneutral soil, growing best in the south and east of Britain[11, 200]. Growth is much less on wet soils, on poor acid soils and on thin dry soils[11]. It is fairly wind tolerant, though it does not do well in exposed upland sites, or in maritime exposure[11, K]. It dislikes shade and is intolerant of root or branch competition[200]. A fast-growing tree, reaching maturity in about 100 years and declining thereafter[186]. There are several named varieties that have been selected mainly for their ornamental value[11]. The leaf buds, as they swell in the spring, and the young leaves have a pleasing fragrance of balsam[245]. The fragrance is especially pronounced as the leaves unfold[245]. Very tolerant of hard pruning, the trees have often been pollarded in the past[186]. Plants seldom produce suckers[186]. An important food plant for the caterpillars of several species of butterfly[30]. Poplars have very extensive and aggressive root systems that can invade and damage drainage systems. Especially when grown on clay soils, they should not be planted within 12 metres of buildings since the root system can damage the building's foundations by drying out the soil[11]. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. Special Features:Not North American native, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.

Carbon Farming

• Agroforestry Services: Living trellis  Plants to physically support other crops.
• Agroforestry Services: Windbreak  Linear plantings of trees and shrubs designed to enhance crop production, protect people and livestock and benefit soil and water conservation.
• Fodder: Bank  Fodder banks are plantings of high-quality fodder species. Their goal is to maintain healthy productive animals. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry seasons. Fodder bank plants are usually trees or shrubs, and often legumes. The relatively deep roots of these woody perennials allow them to reach soil nutrients and moisture not available to grasses and herbaceous plants.
• Historic Crop  These crops were once cultivated but have been abandoned. The reasons for abandonment may include colonization, genocide, market pressures, the arrival of superior crops from elsewhere, and so forth.
• Industrial Crop: Biomass  Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels
• Management: Coppice  Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
• Management: Standard  Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
• Other Systems: Irreg. Intercrop  Irregular intercropping systems are trees scattered throughout cropland.
• Other Systems: SRC  Short-rotation coppice.
• Other Systems: Strip intercrop  Tree crops grown in rows with alternating annual crops.