With a name like Superior Hybrid Poplar, you know you're getting a best-in-class tree. And the Superior Hybrid Poplar Trees live up to its name in beauty, delighting landscape owners and gardeners across most of the country.

Most often used as shade trees and privacy screens, these trees can grow up to 50 feet, and fast! They grow an average of 5 to 8 feet per year. As they grow, they keep their pyramidal form while showing off triangular leaves that glimmer in the sunshine. During spring and summer, their leaves are silvery-green on the top and soft pale green on the bottom.

In fall, this already-gorgeous tree transitions to vibrant yellow. Due to their impressive height and show of fall foliage, Superior Hybrid Poplars offer beautiful focal points for landscaping that features either informal balance or symmetrical design. Additionally, they are adaptable to a wide range of soils and varying degrees of sunlight. These trees generally require about an inch of water per week but may need more frequent watering during hot, dry spells in summer.

Sometimes called Cottonless or Seedless Cottonwoods, the Superior Hybrid Poplars do not produce cottony seeds that can clutter a landscape. This is an obvious advantage over the Cottonwood tree, which also doesn’t grow as quickly though they ultimately reach 70 to 100 feet.

Perhaps its most impressive feature, the Superior Hybrid Poplar can be planted in areas with both air and ground pollution, as its triangular leaves attract odor-carrying particles and recycle them into clean air.

If you would like to line your front or backyard landscaping, your driveway, or create a privacy screen along the street line, the recommended spacing is 10 feet apart. Within three years, you will have a solid screen that reaches 25 to 30 feet high.

What makes Superior Hybrid Poplar trees “hybrid"?

Hybrid plants are produced when the pollen from one species fertilizes another species, whether purposely or by accident. Hybrid poplar trees are a combination or one or more poplar species.

What are the most popular uses of Superior Hybrid Poplar trees?

Hybrid poplars are planted by property owners who wish to stabilize stream banks and agricultural lands. Europeans have long used poplar screens to protect fields and soil from wind erosion, as well as protecting livestock and humans from bitter cold. Additionally, these poplar screens create habitats for wildlife.

Planting

The best time to plant this tree is during the spring or fall. Simply choose an area in full to partial sun and dig a hole whose depth matches that of the root ball and is three times as wide. Remove the Superior Hybrd Poplar tree from its container and gently spread its roots. When you’re confident the root ball is secure, backfill the hol

Once you’ve filled the hole about halfway, water the soil and then continue filling the hole until the top of the soil is at ground level. At this time, you can water the soil and cover the planting space with 2 to 3 inches of mulch while leaving about an inch of space between the mulch and the tree trunk.

Fertilizing

These are hardy trees and do not need fertilizer during planting or the following year. In subsequent years, you can fertilize your tree using half a pound to a pound of fertilizer.