Prairie Sky Poplar vs Black Cottonwood - TreeTime.ca

Prairie Sky Poplar vs Black Cottonwood

Populus x canadensis Prairie Sky

Populus trichocarpa

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Prairie Sky Poplar
Black Cottonwood

Prairie Sky Poplar is a fast-growing columnar hybrid poplar developed at Agriculture and Agri-food Canada's Morden Research Station. It is adaptable to many soil conditions and seems to do best in the southern-most parts of the prairies.

Good as a shade or shelterbelt tree, it is often used in buffer zones as a visual screen or hedge. Ideal for lining properties, roads, etc.

Black Cottonwood is the largest and tallest of the North American poplars. Named after its white, fluffy seeds with cottony hairs, this hardy tree produces sticky, fragrant buds and has a straight growth habit. Black Cottonwood needs ample moisture and nutrients to grow successfully to full height and are found in the Western provinces and the Yukon with BC being its heartland.

Prairie Sky Poplar Quick Facts

Black Cottonwood Quick Facts

Zone: 2b
Zone: 4a
Height: 18 m (60 ft)
Height: 30 m (100 ft)
Spread: 6 m (20 ft)
Spread: 11 m (35 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: long
Suckering: high
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: large, heart-shaped
Hybrid: yes
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: yes


Other Names: balsam cottonwood, california poplar, western balsam poplar