White Poplar is a fairly common European import found in waste places and near old homesites. New sprouts frequently spring up from the roots; it is most often seen as a colony of small trees. Though it does spread slightly from cultivation, seedlings are very rare, so it poses relatively little threat as an invasive.

The uppersides of the maple-like leaves are dark green and very shiny.

The highly contrasting leaf undersides are densely white-woolly.

Grayson Co., VA 5/30/2009.

Bark of a medium-sized tree is smooth pale gray interrupted by diamond-shaped rough patches surrounding lenticels.

Orange Co., NC 3/20/10.

Orange Co., NC 3/20/10.