Tree ID help
- Thread starter Bmezz88
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
Silver poplar kill them now they are crap
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
Bmezz88
ArboristSite Operative
the tops have already been hacked off by the power company about 3 years ago... are these trees know to be brittle?
also known as bigtooth aspen I think. Yes, tops do breaK out. They are good for making paper and feeding ruffed grouse but not much else that I am aware of.
They are good for shade and air filtration.....lol
I call them White poplar. Populus alba. Weak trees, only virtue is they are nice to look at.
Yep silver poplar.
If the undersides of the leaves are fuzzy and white, then they are white poplar (Populus alba). White poplars are colonizers in that they put up new shoots from the roots and create a colony of trees. I've seen shoots in lawns 65' away (and around the corner of the house) from the parent tree.
Nasty tree to have in your yard.
Nasty tree to have in your yard.
I'm convinced by just the pictures alone (mature/juvenile bark, shape, color and underside appearance of leaf) it's white poplar. There's enough of those awful bastards around here I know one when I see it. Like.. 99% sure.
That means you're in for a dangerous removal if you plan on climbing it. Its weak wood. it tends to just POP. Especially if there's any extra top weight from excessive sprouting from the topping. That lean is not stacking things in your favor either. Nor the fact that it's got very little taper. They're fast growing, and chances are, that one's a reacher.. too heavy. If you're going to rig into it... Guy it. If there's another tree to tie your climbing line into, do it.
That piece of junk looks as good a candidate for stem blowout as I've ever seen, considering the species.
Bmezz88
ArboristSite Operative
I don't think I'm going to be climbing this one. I have only been climbing for a little more than 3 years so I feel a little under qualified to take this tree on by my self. My buddy that i do side work for had a bad accident in a tree last month and broke his wrist so he's out of the picture for a little bit. I don't want to jump into to something too technical or too dangerous on my own. I have heard some very bad things about poplars but I have never had to climb and rig one out. I think I'm going to leave this one for someone with a bucket.
3 years? The climber i work with daily has been climbing 3 years and handles anything put in front of him! Been that way for awhile. Those trees look pretty easy, already missing the tops, half your job is done.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
Bmezz88
ArboristSite Operative
Maybe I'm just over complicating things in my head lol. Two decent size branches got to be roped down and thats about it. The rest is going to be bombed down, dirt drive way underneath the tree. Im not uncomfortable with my skill capacity, just the fact that poplar wood is very brittle. I guess i'd be alright, its not like I would be blocking the spar down...
You guys deal with a lot of white poplars out west? Topped poplars are dangerous as ****. White poplars are KNOWN around here for stem blowout and barber chairs with lean and top weight. We deal with them DAILY in these parts. It's one tree I know a lot about. I'm not saying they can't be done. I'm saying see them for what they are. One of the most unpredictable **** trees around. Use caution, and have a good game plan. That's all I was trying to get across.
Bmezz88
ArboristSite Operative
There is no other tree to tie into on this one either...
Yep I do plenty. I have 4 bigguns left in my back yard one of wich the top died out on me this year... already removed 5 on my property.
I don't do them every day but I can't count them on my fingers and toes even if I use yours.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
That wasn't a poke. It was a legitimate question. We really do deal with them daily. I've seen "healthy" ones fail. I've had rig points fail, anchors fail. I hate the no good bastards. No joke.. if they are lacking taper and have lean.. them stem will blow if you add any extra weight. Multiply that tenfold if they're top heavy due to **** pruning.
Even soft trees can be cut down safely. The weight of a climber seldom exceeds the stress put on a tree by a brisk wind.
Cut small, rope small, if you have concerns. It just takes a bit longer.
Cut small, rope small, if you have concerns. It just takes a bit longer.
