Black poplar- Populus nigra

An elegant and increasingly rare tree, mature trees can grow to 30m and can live for 200 years. The bark is dark brown but often appears black, and is thick with numerous fissures and burrs.

The leaves have a faint scent of balsam. Flowers are catkins (male catkins are red and female catkins are yellow-green), and are pollinated by the wind. Once fertilised, female catkins develop into fluffy cotton-like seeds, which fall in late summer.