Tree Tuesday: Towering Carolina poplar

Every Tuesday, Todd Irvine of Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests (LEAF) will post a stop from the Toronto Tree Tours, a collaborative project of LEAF and the Toronto Public Space Committee. The Toronto Tree Tours offers walking tours in neighbourhoods across the city as well as virtual tours on its web site. The aim is to introduce Torontonians to the individual trees in their neighbourhood while telling stories of our city’s ecological and cultural history.

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Bain Co-op Tree Tour: Stop 3

Reaching nearly 100 feet into the sky, dwarfing the buildings below, this Carolina poplar (Populus x canadensis) is one of the tallest trees in the area. It is unusual to see a poplar growing in a residential neighbourhood as it is often feared that their extensive root systems will damage underground pipes and sidewalks. While no damage appears to have occurred here, it can be expected that the roots of this tree are just below the lawn throughout this entire courtyard and extend down to Bain Avenue. A second poplar that stood directly beside this tree and was nearly as large was recently removed because it was dying. Local residents counted the growth rings of the cut tree and found it to be 80 years old. The tree that was cut down is going to be replaced by a new sugar maple planted by LEAF.

Photo by: Michael Periera