Populus × canadensis
Carolina poplar
Two trees on the south side of Green Library’s Bing Wing are reputed to be of this transatlantic hybrid species. One looms tall near the arcade connecting to the School of Education and the other, formerly with two large trunks but now sprouting from a stump, is about midway down that side of the wing. A specimen to the right of 550 Lasuen Mall was removed around 2005.
Poplars and willows are principal actors in phytoremediation, a technique for treating contaminated groundwater. Poisonous metals such as zinc, arsenic, and mercury are sought by the roots; as a consequence, removal of a few cubic yards of plant material offers an economic alternative to bulldozing thousands of cubic yards of contaminated soil.
About this Entry: The main text of this entry is from the book Trees of Stanford and Environs, by Ronald Bracewell, published 2005. Locations clarified and updated (Nov 2024, SP).
