Black Poplar is possibly more widespread in Oxfordshire than currently perceived.
Wetlands and stream side locations are favoured by black poplar and so these can be seen along the spring line between the Berkshire Downs and Vale of White Horse chalk streams in villages like Blewbury, Shillingford, etc. It is more than likely that some of the buildings in these areas will contain black poplar.
These are large imposing trees with a very distinctive winter silouette.
The bark is thick, rough with deep fissures.
In summer the trees are clothed with light green heart shaped leaves.
The timber is unusual in that the heartwood is olive green with a contrasting creamy white heartwood. In mature tree trunks the heartwood is dominant with only 2-3 years worth of sapwood present unlike the younger branchwood shown and taken from the same tree.
The timber when felled is very wet and heavy. As it dries the bark separates from the timber and when removed reveals distinctive upstanding spiral flutes and small pimples which are easy to detect either visually or by running a hand over the outside surface of the tree trunk.
Chilterns
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Black Poplar