mystery tree growing in wet ditch on manitoulin island

12 years ago

we have a summer place on manitoulin island. there is a type of tree growing in and beside the ditch at the front of the property. it is a weed-like tree that must spread via roots because there seems to be no flower or fruit, it spreads quite easily and it grows very fast. the leaves are silvery or white on top, with a distinctly soft, velvety look, and green underneath. they turn black when dead. the leaves are five lobed. the bark is smooth and light grey. the branches are slender and numerous and grow upwards like poplars. i have seen other clusters of them around the island and on the route to tobermory. i can't seem to find this tree in doing online searches, maybe an introduced species??

i have pics if i can figure out how to post them!

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Comments (4)

Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
12 years ago
There is a name that plant forum which has a facility for uploading a picture to your post.
sweetleaf8
Original Author
12 years ago
thanks! i will try there. i want to figure out what this is and what i should be doing with them.

cheers~~~
plantinellen
12 years ago
It sounds like it could be a silver poplar, a European transplant that looks pretty when it's healthy and well-shaped but that can be incredibly weedy and invasive. My Russian-German grandfather planted a row of these along the front yard of the family farmstead -- maybe he was homesick -- and by the time I was a kid my parents were in a constant battle to kill the myriad baby poplars that were constantly popping up in the lawn from the root system and from seeds...my dad finally cut down the trees, but we still had issues with sprouts coming up from the roots for at least a couple of years afterward.

Are the leaves big or little in comparison to the rest of the tree? It may well be some type of native poplar, too. Silver poplars have fairly small leaves.
diane_v_44
12 years ago
Had my first visit to Manitoulin Island this summer

Much enjoyed a two night stay and travelled all over the island

Small roads here and there and brought home two nice interesting smallish rocks. That are sitting at the front of my back garden near the back door. Nice to walk out and think of Manitoulin Island.