Siouxland Poplar

Siouxland Poplar | Populus deltoides

This riparian is native to the prairie not our usual forest ecosystems. I wish this one did not come with the name “poplar” as our forest poplars are short lived, pioneer species that colonize sites following disturbances and their job is to beat back the grasses and lower vegetation to allow forest succession to take over and the longer lived tree species take over the site as the poplar die out. Siouxland poplar is the male cottonwood tree which means it does not produce the cottony seeds that the female cottonwood covers the earth with each year. This is a climax species in the river bottoms of the prairie. It can live well over 100 years and it is built to withstand wind while standing in water! Once again, this is a riparian species that does very well in our urban environments. We are losing millions of ash trees to Emerald Ash Borer and since ash grew so prolifically as a riparian species planted in our cities we over planted it.