White Poplar
Populus alba
Found in disturbed areas, roadsides, forest edges, suburban woodlands. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you
—
Not native
Not native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 76%
- Height
- 50–75 feet
- Spread
- 4–6 feet
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil moisture
- Somewhat dry to moist
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At a glance
- Life cycle
- Woody perennial
- Leaves
- Deciduous
- Bloom
- March to May
- Fruiting season
- Spring
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Recorded in 23 Alabama counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
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Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
176CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL
Genus host records with ranges including AL · Populus
- Limenitis archippusViceroy
- Limenitis arthemisRed-spotted Purple
- Nymphalis antiopaMourning Cloak
- Papilio glaucusEastern Tiger Swallowtail
- Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
- Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
- Acronicta funeralisFunerary Dagger, Paddle Caterpillar
- Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
- Acronicta insularisHenry's Marsh Moth, Cattail Caterpillar
- Acronicta lepusculinaCottonwood Dagger
Show all 176
- Acronicta longaLong-Winged Dagger, Darkish Dagger
- Acronicta noctivagaNight-Wandering Dagger, Burglar Dagger
- Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
- Actias lunaLuna Moth
- Aethalura intertextaFour-Barred Gray
- Agonopterix argillaceaClay-Colored Agonopterix
- Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
- Americerura scitiscriptaBlack-Etched Prominent
- Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Amphipyra glabellaSmooth Amphipyra
- Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
- Anacampsis innocuellaDark-Headed Aspen Leafroller Moth
- Anathix rallaDotted Sallow
- Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
- Antaeotricha leucillanaWell-Marked Leaf Tier, Pale Gray Bird-Dropping Moth
- Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
- Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
- Archips purpuranaOmnivorous Leafroller Moth
- Argyrotaenia marianaGray-Banded Leafroller Moth
- Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
- Automeris ioIo Moth
- Besma quercivorariaOak Besma
- Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
- Cabera erythemariaYellow-Dusted Cream Moth
- Cabera variolariaPink-Striped Willow Spanworm Moth, Vestal Moth, The Vestal
- Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
- Caloptilia stigmatellaPoplar Caloptilia
- Catocala amatrixThe Sweetheart, Sweetheart Underwing
- Catocala blandulaCharming Underwing
- Catocala carissimaCarissima Underwing Moth, Southern Darling Underwing
- Catocala concumbensSleepy Underwing, Pink Underwing
- Catocala marmorataMarbled Underwing
- Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
- Celypha nr.Celypha Moth
- Cenopis pettitanaMaple-Basswood Leafroller Moth
- Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
- Chaetaglaea sericeaSilky Sallow
- Charadra deridensThe Laugher
- Chlosyne nycteisSilvery Checkerspot
- Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
- Clostera albosigmaSigmoid Prominent
- Clostera inclusaAngle-Lined Prominent, Poplar Tent Maker, Poplar Leaf-Tier
- Coelodasys apicalisPlain Schizura
- Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
- Condylorrhiza vestigialisThe Alamo Moth
- Crocigrapha normaniNorman's Quaker
- Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
- Dichomeris ligulellaPalmerworm
- Drepana arcuataArched Hooktip, Masked Birch Caterpillar
- Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
- Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
- Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
- Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
- Epimecis hortariaTulip-Tree Beauty
- Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
- Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
- Euchlaena deductariaForked Euchlaena
- Euchlaena irrariaLeast-Marked Euchlaena
- Eucirroedia pampinaScalloped Sallow
- Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
- Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
- Euzophera semifuneralisAmerican Plum Borer
- Gesta icelusDreamy Duskywing
- Glena cribratariaDotted Gray
- Gluphisia septentrionisCommon Gluphisia
- Gypsonoma haimbachianaCottonwood Twig Borer
- Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
- Haploa leconteiLeconte's Haploa
- Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
- Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
- Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
- Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
- Iridopsis defectariaBrown-Shaded Gray, Willow Looper
- Iridopsis larvariaBent-Line Gray
- Kocakina fidelisIntractable Quaker, Green Fruitworm, Fourlined Green Fruitworm
- Lacinipolia renigeraBristly Ground Cat, Bristly Cutworm Moth, Kidney Spotted "Mamestra"
- Lambdina fiscellariaHemlock Looper, Western Oak Looper
- Lithophane antennataAshen Pinion
- Lithophane bethuneiBethune's Pinion
- Lithophane petulcaWanton Pinion
- Lomographa semiclarataBluish Spring Moth, Wildcherry Looper
- Lycia ypsilonWoolly Gray
- Machimia tentoriferellaGold-Striped Leaftier Moth
- Macrurocampa marthesiaMottled Prominent
- Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
- Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
- Megalopyge crispataBlack-Waved Flannel Moth, Crinkled Flannel Moth
- Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
- Melanolophia signatariaSignate Melanolphia
- Metanema inatomariaPale Metanema
- Metarranthis duariaRuddy Metarranthis
- Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
- Nadata gibbosaWhite-Dotted Prominent
- Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
- Nycteola frigidanaFrigid Baileya, Frigid Nycteola, Frigid Owlet
- Nycteola metaspilellaSienna-Dotted Nycteola, Forgotten Frigid Owlet
- Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
- Oedemasia leptinoidesBlack-Blotched Schizura
- Oedemasia semirufescensRed-Washed Prominent
- Olethreutes fasciatanaBanded Olethreutes
- Orgyia definitaDefinite Tussock Moth
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
- Orthosia rubescensRuby Quaker
- Pachysphinx modestaModest Sphinx, The Big Poplar Sphinx
- Paleacrita vernataSpring Cankerworm Moth
- Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
- Pandemis lamprosanaWoodgrain Leafroller
- Pandemis limitataThree-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
- Paonias myopsSmall-Eyed Sphinx
- Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
- Papilio cresphontesEastern Giant Swallowtail
- Paranthrene dolliiPoplar Borer
- Paranthrene tabaniformisDusky Clearwing
- Parasa chlorisSmaller Parasa, Green Slug Moth
- Parasa indeterminaStinging Rose Caterpillar Moth, Rose Slug Caterpillar
- Pero morrisonariaMorrison's Pero
- Phaeoura quernariaOak Beauty Moth
- Pheosia rimosaBlack-Rimmed Prominent, Mirrowbacked Caterpillar
- Phigalia titeaThe Half-Wing Geometer, Spiney Looper, Eastern Oak Looper
- Phobetron pitheciumHag Moth, Monkey Slug
- Phyllodesma americanaLappet Moth, American Lappet Moth, Southern Lappet Moth
- Phyllonorycter propinquinellaCherry Blotch Leaf Miner
- Plagodis alcoolariaHollow-Spotted Plagodis
- Plagodis phlogosariaStraight-Lined Plagodis
- Plagodis pulverariaAmerican Barred Umber, Barred Umber
- Plagodis serinariaLemon Plagodis
- Pococera aplastellaAspen Webworm Moth
- Pococera asperatellaMaple Webworm
- Polygonia interrogationisQuestion Mark
- Prionoxystus robiniaeCarpenterworm Moth, Black Locust Borer, Cottonwood Borer
- Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
- Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
- Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
- Protitame virginalisVirgin Moth
- Protoboarmia porcelariaPorcelain Gray, Dashedlined Looper
- Pseudothyatira cymatophoroidesTufted Thyatirid
- Psilocorsis quercicellaOak Leaftier
- Psilocorsis reflexellaDotted Leaftier Moth
- Pyromorpha dimidiataOrange-Patched Smoky Moth
- Pyrrhia ciliscaAmerican Bordered Sallow, Noble Sun Moth
- Raphia fraterThe Brother, Yellow-Marked Caterpillar
- Rheumaptera prunivorataFerguson's Scallop Shell, Cherry Scallop Shell
- Satyrium liparopsStriped Hairstreak
- Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
- Scoliopteryx libatrixThe Herald
- Selenia kentariaKent's Geometer
- Smerinthus jamaicensisTwin-Spotted Sphinx
- Sphinx kalmiaeFawn Sphinx, Laurel Sphinx
- Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
- Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
- Sunira bicoloragoBicolored Sallow
- Synanthedon acerrubriRed Maple Borer, Maple Clearwing
- Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Tolype velledaLarge Tolype, Large Lappet Moth, Vellada Lappet Moth
- Xystopeplus rufagoRed-Winged Sallow
- Zale minereaColorful Zale
- Zanclognatha jacchusalisWavy-Lined Zanclognatha, Wavy-Lined Fan-Foot
- Zanclognatha marcidilineaYellowish Fan-Foot
- Anania extricalis
- Bucculatrix staintonella
- Dichomeris ventrellus
- Framinghamia helvalis
- Rhopobota finitimana
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
9BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Populus
- Alectoris chukarChukar
- Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
- Dendragapus obscurusDusky Grouse
- Falcipennis canadensisSpruce Grouse
- Lagopus lagopusWillow Ptarmigan
- Lagopus mutaRock Ptarmigan
- Pheucticus ludovicianusRose-breasted Grosbeak
- Tympanuchus phasianellusSharp-tailed Grouse
- Zenaida asiaticaWhite-winged Dove
Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Salicaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 3a–9b
- Soil pH
- Acidic to alkaline
- Flower color
- Green or red
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Growth habit
- Single stem
- Foliage color
- Green
- Fruit begins
- Spring
- Fruit ends
- Spring
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “March to May” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Flower color · “Green or red” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
- Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit begins · “Spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit ends · “Spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth habit · “Single stem” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Hardiness · “Zones 3a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Height · “50–75 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers differ)
- Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Spread · “4–6 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as
Silver Leaf Poplar
Conservation status
| Alabama rank | SNA |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| AL status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
Sources
- Alabama Plant Atlas
- USDA PLANTS
- FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Weakley), phone app (app page)
- FloraQuest: South Central (Weakley), phone app (app page)
- NatureServe Explorer
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications