Plant Details

Populus x canescens

Grey Poplar

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Explore the size, hardiness, soil, light, edible uses and harvest period of Populus x canescens.

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Common names

4 names · 4 languages
EnglishYour language
  • Grey Poplar[1]
Other languages (3)
Dutch
  • Grauwe abdeel
French
  • Peuplier gris
German
  • Grau-Pappel[1]
Sources & name notes (1)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Populus × canescens (Aiton) Sm. ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Grau-Pappel (DE) — VernacularName.tsv, line 161560; taxon 4LVSD.
  • Grey Poplar (EN) — VernacularName.tsv, line 161561; taxon 4LVSD.

General information

Scientific name: Populus x canescens
Accepted name (Kew): Populus × canescens View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited taxonomic treatment. Botanical references may use alternative names.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Salicaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Populus (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Grey Poplar

Plant characteristics

Layer: Tree
Catalogue size class: Large
Height: 30.00 m
Spread: 15.00 m
Growth rate: Fast
Foliage: Deciduous

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 4-9
Soil moisture:
Moist
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Inner bark
Edibility rating:
(0)
Medicinal rating:
(0)
Functions:
Pioneer species, Windbreak, Wood

Description

Inner bark - raw or cooked. It can be dried, ground into powder, and then added to grain flour to make bread and such. It has a very bitter taste and is only used as food during famine, when all other options have been exhausted. Young shoots - cooked. Not very tasty.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/10
Harvest ends: 28/02

Crown

Crown shape: Broad pyramidal
Crown density: Dense crown

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: TaxonomyBotanical family
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: WCVP version 16, wcvp_names.csv: Populus × canescens (Aiton) Sm., name ID 2917278, row 1425971
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1426848; name ID 2917745; Populus L.. Family column.

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Populus × canescens

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 1011359, ID 4LVSD: Populus × canescens (Aiton) Sm. (accepted).

    Source checked on .