White Poplar

Common Name(s): White Poplar, Silver Poplar Scientific Name: Populus alba Distribution: From southern/central Europe to central Asia Tree Size: 50-80 ft (15-25 m) tall, 2-3 ft (.6-1.0 m) trunk diameter Average Dried Weight: 28 lbs/ft3 (440 kg/m3) Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .36, .44 Janka Hardness: 410 lbf (1,820 N) Modulus of Rupture: 9,430 lbf/in2 (65.0 MPa) Elastic Modulus: 1,290,000 lbf/in2 (8.90 GPa) Crushing Strength: No data available Shrinkage: Radial: 3.2%, Tangential: 5.2%, Volumetric: 8.4%, T/R Ratio: 1.6

Color/Appearance: No data available.

Grain/Texture: No data available.

Endgrain: No data available.

Rot Resistance: No data available.

Workability: No data available.

Odor: No characteristic odor.

Allergies/Toxicity: Besides the standard health risks associated with any type of wood dust, no further health reactions have been associated with White Poplar. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Pricing/Availability: No data available.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Common Uses: No data available.

Comments: Many Italian renaissance painters such as Leonard da Vinci painted on wooden panels which were often made of Populus alba.

The leaves of White Poplar are a glossy green on top, and silvery-white underneath, lending to the name Silver-leaf Poplar.

Related Species:

• Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera)
• Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
• Bigtooth Aspen (Populus grandidentata)
• Black Poplar (Populus nigra)
• European Aspen (Populus tremula)
• Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
• Black Cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa)

Related Articles:

• Poplar, Cottonwood, and Aspen: What’s What?

Scans/Pictures: A special thanks to Mike Leigher for providing the wood sample of this wood species.