Poplar

quaking aspen

poplar, (genus Populus), genus of some 35 species of trees in the willow family (Salicaceae), native to the Northern Hemisphere. The poplar species native to North America are divided into three loose groups: the cottonwoods, the aspens, and the balsam poplars. The name Populus refers to the fact that the trees were often planted around public meeting places in Roman times. The wood of poplars is relatively soft and hence is mostly used to make cardboard boxes, crates, paper, and veneer.