Click on the images help you identify a balsam poplar.
Form
Grows 40 to 70 feet tall, with a trunk diameter of 24 inches or more. The tree grows upright with a narrow, straight canopy that broadens at the top.
Bark
Young bark is greenish brown to light brown and smooth. Older bark becomes grayish black and deeply furrowed, with flat ridges.
Leaf
Leaves are simple and alternate on the stem, 3 to 6 inches long and about half as wide. Margins are blunt and finely toothed. Leaves are shiny green above and silvery green below, often with rusty blotches. They turn yellow in autumn.
Fruit (seed)
Fruit consists of small, cotton-like capsules grouped in 4- to 6-inch catkins. The seeds are easily carried long distances by the wind. Fruit matures in late spring.
Range
Found throughout northern and central Minnesota. Hardy throughout its range.
Wood uses
The wood is heavy when green and light when dry. It is soft, not very strong, close-grained, and light brown. The sapwood is white. It is used for pulp, boxes, packing cases, and rough lumber. The wood rots readily in contact with the ground.