AusBonsai

Has anyone had any experiences with white poplars?
I am thinking maybe a group planting, taking some suckers this coming winter.
Any ideas or comments appreciated.

I posted the same question a year or so ago - seems like it's just us.

From my limited experience they grow like weeds from cuttings, thicken quickly in the ground, and have most attractive foliage. Haven't found a problem, but haven't grown them in a bonsai pot yet...

This is what you can get after a year and a half in the ground, mainly neglected:
And this is what you get growing out of the path a metre or so away...
Go crazy!

Gavin

Cheers Gavin,
From what I can gather, they tend to sucker very easily when their roots are disturbed, might make root pruning an ordeal , anyways, good to see someone else has given them a go. I will post pics and updates when I start.
Cheers

Gday Banksia I took a sucker around 18/12/2011, Totally Defoliated it.
It took about 4 weeks to show signs of growth and is now growing well.
I decided to chop the large root and re pot it.
Here is a pic today, 1 day after root prune and re pot

If poplars are anything like like they are in the ground, my guess is that each time you root prune you will have a mini forest popping up which could be good? Have fun and experiment....

I have considerd that they may make a good ginko style tree.

I thought about a poplar forest Damian
My Bonsai interest has just started so every thing I do is an experiment

Bretts wrote:I have considerd that they may make a good ginko style tree.

Had to Google Ginkgo style, never heard of it.
After looking at Ginkgo I think the Poplar would really suit that style

banksiaman wrote:Has anyone had any experiences with white poplars?

I have some i play with but they suffer dieback and replace the trunk with 2-3 suckers. This is why they are a weed. I will say though that i have had some for a few years i have never taken them seriously and maybe should do.

Cheers guys for the feedback,
I figure what we dont kill makes us better enthusiasts
and I am all for pushing the boundaries and trying non typical bonsai species, if it dont work, thats what the mulcher is for

We might be talking about two different trees here. Mine's the broadish heavily-suckering grey-trunked type near creeks with the fuzzy white underside to the leaf. Populus alba I think. Then there's the tall thin one with paler all-green leaves that would grow well in the gingko style. Judging from images of bonsai on the Net, we could call them Unpopulus. There was a suggestion that they don't live long, but what the hell, I'm 60.

Gavin

Gavin,
I am also talking the same tree, found along creeks here as a weed, white undersides to the leaves.

Hi banksiaman,

I tend to agree with the thought train of a ginko style approach with poplars.

You certainly have a few to collect in the canberra area, so why not give them a try ?

For those who are wondering what a `ginko` style is, it is usually a football shape.

I hope this pic might help explain it better ?

Regards,


Paul C

Gingko's are often styled in a 'flame' style due to their growing habit. The photo in the previous post is a good example of the shape attained by this shape. Poplars would suit this well. Nothing wrong with experimenting on cheap stock. Give em a go.
Good luck with em
Andrew

There's a farm near here with a few white poplars. One of them has a surface root which has suckered and been grazed by sheep repeatedly year after year. The surface is now all knobbly and knarly. I plan to dig it out in winter time and train it as a raft... let the experiments continue

-Andrew.