A large tree that reaches and exceeds 30 m in height with an expansive and rounded crown. Among the numerous species and varieties of poplar, this is the healthiest and longest-lived, with a potential lifespan of 300-400 years, exceptionally reaching 500. The characteristic of poplars is their relatively fast dimensional growth, but this comes at the expense of wood quality, making them susceptible to decay fungi and insects.
A thermophilic plant fairly resistant to salt, it is found in loamy-clayey and humid soils. It is distinguished from other poplars by the whitish underside of the leaves and the equally white bark that characterizes it in its juvenile and mature phases. In the senescent phase, the bark becomes wrinkled and very dark. In large trees, all these phases can be recognized, from the dark trunk to the smooth, white branches.
In Greek mythology, it represents the hope of a new life symbolized by the leaves, dark green on one side and white on the other, signifying the transition from death to a new condition of light. This interpretation can still be found today in a Breton belief where the leaves of the tree are said to be the souls of children promised to resurrection. In another legend, the lower side of the leaves, silver-white, indicates that silver coins are buried at the base of the tree but can only be found at midnight on a Friday when a moonbeam illuminates the site. The white poplar, thanks to its leaves, became in the Celtic tree calendar the tree of the Autumn Equinox, symbolizing the descent of the sun into the underworld.
Today, white poplar has few uses other than the transformation of its wood into paper. Ornamental uses are limited due to concerns about its size and the simultaneous inability to manage this plant properly. Coppicing, in fact, is the primary and most important reason for the physiological and static decline of such trees.
