Populus trichocarpa 'Blom'

Black cottonwood 'Blom', western balsam-poplar 'Blom', California poplar 'Blom'

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Description

Populus trichocarpa ‘Blom’ (Western balsam poplar 'Blom') was selected in the Vancouver area from Populus trichocarpa by G. Blom. The species was distributed in the Netherlands by the Netherlands Inspection Service for Horticulture (NAKB) from 1972 onwards. Populus trichocarpa ‘Blom’ has quite a straight trunk with an oval to wide oval crown on top. In young trees, the crown has dense branches; it opens up more later on. Despite steady growth, this cultivar stays a lot smaller than the main species and does not grow higher than 15 metres.

The cultivar is male and thus does not produce cotton-like seeds. Populus trichocarpa ‘Blom’ blooms red catkins in March. When the young, light-green leaves bud in April, they emit fragrance of a balsam. In the summer, the leaves are large, ovoid, leather-like and dark green with a white underside. Its autumn colour is an even yellow. It has long, steep upright branches. The tree grows shots on its smooth, peeling green-yellow to grey trunk.

Populus trichocarpa ‘Blom’ is very sensitive to wind and therefore requires a sheltered environment. E.g. in a park, large garden or forest area. It prefers moist, nutrient-rich, light to heavy soil. The cultivar was originally intended for log production and in clay soil, its growth is similar to that of Populus x canadensis ‘Robusta’. It even grows better in light sand and loamy soil. Populus trichocarpa ‘Blom’ is very good at tolerating canker and reasonably good at tolerating Marssonina and rust.

Types of planting

Tree types

standard trees

Use

Location

park countryside

Pavement

none

Planting concepts

landscape planting

Characteristics

Crown shape

wide oval

Crown structure

semi-open

Height

12 - 15 m

Width

10 - 12 m

Winter hardiness zone

5A - 8B

Aspects

Wind

intolerant to wind

Soil

loess sabulous clay heavy clay light clay sand loamy soil

Nutrient level

rich in nutrients

Soil moisture level

moist wet

Light requirements

sun

pH range

acidic neutral

Extreme environments

tolerant to short-term flooding

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Photos

Magnify

standard tree

leaves

bark

Flowers

catkins discrete pendulous

Flower colour

red

Flowering period

March

Leaves

Leaf colour

dark green buds pale green underside white-grey

Leaves

deciduous ovate deltoid big leathery scented serrate

Autumn colour

yellow

Fruits

no fruit

Bark

Bark colour

grey-green

Bark

peeling smooth, later on rough

Twigs

Twig colour

grey-green

Twigs

bare vertical branches thickly branched long shoots

Root system

shallow extensive highly branched root suckers roots push up surface

For and by green professionals

The TreeEbb is a platform for and by green professionals, in which we collect knowledge and experience from the sector and make this available for users. All the details and photos are free to use for non-commercial purposes. Want to share your tree knowledge? Send photographs and additional information to treeebb@ebben.nl

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Winter hardiness

A plant's winter hardiness is the coldest area in which it is frost-resistant. This is based on the average annual minimum temperature. Winter hardiness zones are thirteen different frost zones in steps of 5.5 degrees Celsius. This format is an international standard for the hardiness of plants. The zones in which the plant is frost-resistant are always included in the description of trees and other vegetation.

Winter hardiness is a genetic characteristic and is not influenced by the location in which the plant is cultivated. This means that a plant that has been cultivated for many years in winter-hardiness zone 6 but has a winter hardiness of 3 is perfectly suited for replanting in a colder zone. It will thrive there thanks to its genetic characteristics.

When choosing planting for a project, the winter hardiness of the plants is extremely important. By choosing species that match the zone in which the project is being created, it is possible to ensure that plants can withstand the minimum temperature in that area.

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