The Black Polar

The Black Poplar (Populus nigra L.) is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 35 metres tall and lives above all on river banks and in fertile alluvial plains with water flowing not far below the surface. 
As this tree has been cultivated since ancient times it is difficult to know exactly where it originated, although today it is very common in central and southern Europe and in North Africa. 
It is especially noted for its fast growth, its dense crown and for the way it stands straight and tall. 
Since time immemorial it has been grown for its wood (soft and light for use in carpentry and construction) and as an ornamental tree in tree-lined promenades known as “alamedas”. “Las Alamedas de la Alhambra”, the first alamedas in Spain, were planted with elms and poplars between 1535 and 1545 as part of the new access routes to the Imperial Palace of Charles V. 
During the autumn, the ancient poplar in the Partal Palace, which is almost a hundred years old, is cloaked in a wash of different yellows to the delight of our visitors…