# Test **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 16, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test/449585 "2008-05-16T19:20:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test/449585/1 "2008-05-16T19:20:27Z")
test ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test/449585/2 "2008-05-16T19:25:06Z")
[QUOTE=Pullet] By wrong, I mean mismatching the intended purpose. Planting [one of these poplars](http://courses.washington.edu/z490/gmo/toby.html) or an [Italian cypress](http://mgonline.com/italiancypress01.jpg) as a shade tree and then pollarding it is wrong. [/quote] You are envisioning the wrong tree. Those are not tulip poplars. A mature tulip poplar can make a nice shade tree. [See](http://smithwholesale.com/images/tulippoplar.jpg)? [quote] Especially when there [are so many other choices](http://joa.isa-arbor.com/request.asp?JournalID=1&ArticleID=2672&Type=2) [PDF link] Matter of taste. Tulip poplars have the nice flowers mentioned above. Maples are pretty in the fall. Oaks provide the most shade, but also attract squirrels, which can make pests of themselves. > [@](#): > > And apparently the Tulip Poplar **Spoke-** mentioned is actually [a member of the magnolia family](http://www.shgresources.com/ky/symbols/tree/). It would seem that true poplars can be pruned [up to 25%](http://www.cropinfo.net/AnnualReports/2003/popprune2003.htm) without damage to the tree. 25% pruning is way less than the pollarding I’ve seen around here. > > Or are you referring to some other kind of poplar? I’m not finding any links that recommend pollarding true poplars. But my google-fu is known to be poor. Tulip poplars are not “true poplars.” I have seen my dad cut tulip poplars back to head-high stumps, with no long-term ill effects. They grow very quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test/449585/3 "2008-05-16T19:35:26Z")
[QUOTE=Pullet] By wrong, I mean mismatching the intended purpose. Planting [one of these poplars](http://courses.washington.edu/z490/gmo/toby.html) or an [Italian cypress](http://mgonline.com/italiancypress01.jpg) as a shade tree and then pollarding it is wrong. [/quote] You are envisioning the wrong tree. Those are not tulip poplars. A mature tulip poplar can make a nice shade tree. [See](http://smithwholesale.com/images/tulippoplar.jpg)? [quote] Especially when there [are so many other choices](http://joa.isa-arbor.com/request.asp?JournalID=1&ArticleID=2672&Type=2) [PDF link] Matter of taste. Tulip poplars have the nice flowers mentioned above. Maples are pretty in the fall. Oaks provide the most shade, but also attract squirrels, which can make pests of themselves. > [@](#): > > And apparently the Tulip Poplar **Spoke-** mentioned is actually [a member of the magnolia family](http://www.shgresources.com/ky/symbols/tree/). It would seem that true poplars can be pruned [up to 25%](http://www.cropinfo.net/AnnualReports/2003/popprune2003.htm) without damage to the tree. 25% pruning is way less than the pollarding I’ve seen around here. > > Or are you referring to some other kind of poplar? I’m not finding any links that recommend pollarding true poplars. But my google-fu is known to be poor. Tulip poplars are not “true poplars.” I have seen my dad cut tulip poplars back to head-high stumps, with no long-term ill effects. They grow very quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test/449585/4 "2008-05-16T20:01:10Z")
I sent you a PM. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test/449585/5 "2008-05-16T20:26:50Z")
Is anyone in this thread talking to anyone else? Because I’m lost all up in here. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test/449585/6 "2008-05-16T20:32:18Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal] Is anyone in this thread talking to anyone else? Because I’m lost all up in here. [/QUOTE] What’s the frequency, Kenneth? ---
**Author:** ![Borborygmi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/borborygmi/32/217_2.png) [@Borborygmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borborygmi)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test/449585/7 "2008-05-16T21:03:38Z")
**Contrapuntal** , allow me to clear things up: > [@pullet](#): > > By wrong, I mean mismatching the intended purpose. Planting [one of these poplars](http://courses.washington.edu/z490/gmo/toby.html) or an [Italian cypress](http://mgonline.com/italiancypress01.jpg) as a shade tree and then pollarding it is wrong. You are envisioning the wrong tree. Those are not tulip poplars. A mature tulip poplar can make a nice shade tree. [See](http://smithwholesale.com/images/tulippoplar.jpg)? [quote] Especially when there [are so many other choices](http://joa.isa-arbor.com/request.asp?JournalID=1&ArticleID=2672&Type=2) [PDF link] Matter of taste. Tulip poplars have the nice flowers mentioned above. Maples are pretty in the fall. Oaks provide the most shade, but also attract squirrels, which can make pests of themselves. > [@](#): > > And apparently the Tulip Poplar Spoke- mentioned is [actually a member of the magnolia family](http://www.shgresources.com/ky/symbols/tree/). It would seem that true poplars can be pruned [up to 25%](http://www.cropinfo.net/AnnualReports/2003/popprune2003.htm) without damage to the tree. 25% pruning is way less than the pollarding I’ve seen around here. > > Or are you referring to some other kind of poplar? I’m not finding any links that recommend pollarding true poplars. But my google-fu is known to be poor. Tulip poplars are not “true poplars.” I have seen my dad cut tulip poplars back to head-high stumps, with no long-term ill effects. They grow very quickly. I hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test/449585/8 "2008-05-16T21:43:15Z")
Jeez. A couple of guys can’t have a private discussion of poplars without everybody wanting to eavesdrop. Thread closed. **Gfactor** General Questions Moderator