I wouldn't plant a poplar in Oklahoma. You might look at Frontier Elm. Its fast growing and heat tolerant. How wide is the strip?

About 4 feet. Thank you so much. Why not a poplar? They were so beautiful in Tuscany(lol)

Well, they are pest and disease prone. I have never seen them at a nursery here and I am pretty sure Oklahoma is a little to harsh for the poplar. If you really like that Tuscan look you may want to check out the Everclear Elm. I have seen them planted here in Oklahoma and they grow fast and do well.

Oh and the roots! Both should be fine as long as you water correctly.

Well, I wouldn't plant one. I wouldn't even let someone else come onto our property and plant one, even if it the tree and the labor to plant it were free.

Lombardy Poplar is a fast-growing tree. Unfortunately, like most fast-growing trees, it then tends to decline and die quickly. Its roots tend to sucker endlessly, giving you new trees that you likely don't want. They tend to have surface roots that will lift up concrete and cause broken sidewalks or foundation issues. Their roots tend to invade water lines. If someone tries to talk you into planting this tree, stick your fingers in your ears and say "la la la la la, I am not listening to you...." They have lots of pest problems and tend to die of canker and other diseases that appear suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, and then kill them quickly.

Do yourself a favor, and plant a good quality tree that won't cause you endless headaches. Better-quality trees do tend to grow slower, but that also means they last a lot longer. Most fast-growing trees are fast-dying trees, giving rise to the use of the term "trash trees", often used to describe them.

People get suckered into buying and planting Lombardy Poplars because of the too-good-to-be-true growth rates cited by companies selling them. Don't get lured into thinking planting them is a good idea.

OKC has a great publication on selecting trees for urban areas. I'll link it below. It has great descriptions and great photos. Maybe you'll see a good-quality tree there that will appeal to you. I haven't looked at the OKC publication to see if the Lombardy Poplar is listed in it as a recommended tree, but I'm 100% sure it isn't.

It is a whole lot easier to buy a good-quality tree that will last a long time, will stay healthy and won't give you trouble than to buy a fast-growing trash tree that will get to just the height you want it....and then start dying, leaving you with the work and expense of having it removed and the expense of replacing it with something else.

Just because a tree grows well in Tuscany doesn't mean it will grow here. We're, um.....not in Tuscany....are we? You'll save yourself a lot of trouble if you plant trees that either are native to Oklahoma or at least are well-adapted to the conditions here, and Lombardy poplar is neither.

Friends don't let their friends plant this tree. : )

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: OKC: Putting Down Roots