Populus euphratica
Family: Salicaceae
What it is like
Populus euphratica is a deciduous Tree growing to 15 m (49ft 3in) at a fast rate.The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). and is pollinated by Wind. The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.
Height (m): 15
Where it is found
Especially found on rich soils, often inundated for part of the year, to 4000 metres. Plains, valleys and basins at elevations of 200 - 2400 metres in northern China.
E. Asia - Southwest Asia to the Himalayas, Mongolia and China.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 1
The bark is vermifuge. Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, the bark of most, if not all members of the genus contain salicin, a glycoside that probably decomposes into salicylic acid (aspirin) in the body. The bark is therefore anodyne, anti-inflammatory and febrifuge. It is used especially in treating rheumatism and fevers, and also to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps.
Anodyne: Relieves pain, it is milder than an analgesic.
Antiinflammatory: Reduces inflammation of joints, injuries etc.
Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.
Miscellany: Various medicinal actions that need more clarification.
Vermifuge: Expels and kills internal parasites.
Other
Rating: 3
An extract of the shoots can be used as a rooting hormone for all types of cuttings. It is extracted by soaking the chopped up shoots in cold water for a day. The inner bark can be used as a slow match. Wood - moderately hard, compact, even grained, rather woolly in texture, without smell or taste, of low flammability, not durable, very resistant to abrasion. Used in construction, turnery etc, it is a poor fuel.
Miscellany: A rag-bag of items that are difficult to categorise.
Rooting hormone: Substances that can be used to promote the production of roots in plant cuttings.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
Industrial Crop: Biomass: Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels
Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
Other Systems: Irreg. Intercrop: Irregular intercropping systems are trees scattered throughout cropland.
Other Systems: Strip intercrop: Tree crops grown in rows with alternating annual crops.
Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.
Industrial Crop: Biomass: Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels
Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
Other Systems: Irreg. Intercrop: Irregular intercropping systems are trees scattered throughout cropland.
Other Systems: Strip intercrop: Tree crops grown in rows with alternating annual crops.
Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.
Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.
How it is grown
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in this country, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of the country. It is a very fast growing tree, coppicing readily and giving out a great crop of suckers, often at some distance from the tree. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Does well in a heavy cold damp soil. Prefers a deep rich well-drained circumneutral soil, growing best in the south and east of Britain. Growth is much less on wet soils, on poor acid soils and on thin dry soils. It does not do well in exposed upland sites. It dislikes shade and is intolerant of root or branch competition. Poplars have very extensive and aggressive root systems that can invade and damage drainage systems. Especially when grown on clay soils, they should not be planted within 12 metres of buildings since the root system can damage the building's foundations by drying out the soil. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus.
Propagating it: Seed - must be sown as soon as it is ripe in spring. Poplar seed has an extremely short period of viability and needs to be sown within a few days of ripening. Surface sow or just lightly cover the seed in trays in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the old frame. If sufficient growth is made, it might be possible to plant them out in late summer into their permanent positions, otherwise keep them in the cold frame until the following late spring and then plant them out. Most poplar species hybridize freely with each other, so the seed may not come true unless it is collected from the wild in areas with no other poplar species growing. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, 20 - 40cm long, November/December in a sheltered outdoor bed or direct into their permanent positions. Very easy. Suckers in early spring.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Canopy; Bog Garden;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 0-0
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist, wet