Poplars
Why Poplars?
Poplars are the perfect pastoral farm tree. They offer shade and shelter, their fast-growing roots hold hillsides together, they are a good fodder source in a drought, they can produce great timber if managed well, and they sequester carbon.
Plant Hawke’s Bay is pleased to offer two poplar cultivars for 2024, Veronese and Kawa.
Veronese
Veronese is a black poplar hybrid of Populus x euramericana. It is broadly columnar, and vigorous, suiting dry and windy hillsides where it is relatively drought tolerant. The leaves create a heavy shade and turn yellow in autumn. It provides excellent shelter when in leaf. Veronese’s main uses are for soil conservation, shelter belts, timber plantations and for stock fodder.
Kawa
Kawa is a balsam hybrid, a cross between Populus deltoides and P. yunnanensis. It is broadly columnar, and very vigorous. Kawa is best on moist sites and possums don’t find it very palatable. It is best planted in gullies and valley floors, away from exposed dry sites. Kawa’s leaves turn yellow in autumn, later than other hybrid poplars.
These species can reach about 7m after five years and 30m at maturity. Our poplar trees are rooted cuttings in 1.6L pots, or in a smaller 0.5L bomentray grade. Hawke’s Bay landowners may be eligible for 50% funding for these trees if they have an erosion control plan which meets scale and severity requirements: contact your local HBRC Catchment Advisor for more information about the Erosion Control Scheme or call 06 835 9200. We also offer different kinds of pole protector guards for poplars
Pricing
1.6L pots are for sale at $7.50 plus GST.
A 50 cent refund for every pot returned to the nursery in good condition.
Our Bomentray grade plants are $3.75 plus GST.
Discounts may be available for larger orders. Forward orders are also being taken for 2025, when we will also have Crowsnest poplars available.