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  • AGM plants

    AGM plants have been through a rigorous trial and assessment programme. They are:

    • Excellent for ordinary use in appropriate conditions
    • Available to buy
    • Of good constitution
    • Essentially stable in form & colour
    • Reasonably resistant to pests & diseases
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Populus nigra 'Italica' (m)

Lombardy poplar

AGM plants

AGM plants have been through a rigorous trial and assessment programme. They are:

  • Excellent for ordinary use in appropriate conditions
  • Available to buy
  • Of good constitution
  • Essentially stable in form & colour
  • Reasonably resistant to pests & diseases
© RHS
Sold by 17 nurseries

  • Other common names Lombardy poplar
    lady poplar

    Italian poplar

    see more

  • Family Salicaceae

  • Genus Populus are deciduous trees, mostly very fast-growing and large, with male and female catkins on separate trees, opening before the leaves. Male catkins are the more ornamental, female ones can be a nuisance from the cottony, wind-blown seeds

  • Details 'Italica' is a large, vigorous, narrowly columnar deciduous tree to 30m tall, with bright green ovate leaves and crimson male catkins before the leaves open in early spring

Characteristics

  • Foliage Deciduous

  • Habit Columnar/Upright

  • Hardiness

    Hardiness ratings

    All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

    • H1a - Under glass all year (>15C)
    • H1b - Can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
    • H1c - Can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
    • H2 - Tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
    • H3 - Hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
    • H4 - Hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
    • H5 - Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
    • H6 - Hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
    • H7 - Hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

    H7

Colour

Sunlight

  • Full Sun

  • Aspect South-facing or West-facing

  • Exposure Exposed or Sheltered

Soil

  • Loam

    Loam

  • Clay

    Clay

  • Sand

    Sand

  • Chalk

    Chalk

  • MoistureMoist but well-drained

  • SoilLoam, Clay, Sand, Chalk

  • pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral

Size

  • Ultimate height Higher than 12 metres

  • Ultimate spread 4-8 metres

  • Time to ultimate height 20-50 years

How to grow

Cultivation Grow in moist but well-drained, humus-rich, fertile soils but avoid planting in vicinity of buildings due to vigorous root system; it has the potential to become a nuisance. Very useful as a screen or as part of a shelter belt and grows very rapidly

Propagation Take hardwood cuttings in winter. Remove suckers in autumn or late winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types Hedging & Screens Architectural Cottage & Informal Garden Coastal

How to care

Pruning Pruning group 1; sucker removal in autumn or winter

Pests Susceptible to willow leaf beetle and caterpillars which may eat the foliage or bore into the bark

Diseases Susceptible to bacterial canker, a rust, honey fungus and silver leaf disease

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