Before the seventies and eighties, in our hometown, we could see the tall figure of poplar everywhere by the roadside riverside, in the fields, in front of the house.
Populus tomentosa. Populus tomentosa is a native poplar species endemic to China. It has a smooth bark, is resistant to drought and insect pests, grows quickly, has a straight trunk, excellent wood, and is versatile. It can be used not only as a building material, but also for furniture, etc., with high economic value, and is the main green tree species in our local area. From the perspective of environmental protection, poplar ears that bloom in spring will not produce white flying, and have no impact on the environment and human health.
Tall tomen.
But I don't know when the fine tree species of poplar has gradually disappeared from our field of vision. In its place is a fast-growing poplar from abroad. In addition to the short growth cycle and the quick benefits for growers, this poplar tree is really unlovable, and sometimes quite annoying.
Insect infestation of fast-growing poplar.
First of all, fast-growing poplars are susceptible to diseases and insect pests. In summer and autumn, its leaves are crawling with insects, and if not treated properly, the leaves will soon be eaten up. Those trees that grow along the roadside often have insects that fall on pedestrians, making people avoid them. Therefore, growers have to spray pesticides to control insects, so that pesticides cause pollution to the environment. Secondly, when the fast-growing poplar blooms in spring, the poplar spike will be covered with white flocculents, and the wind will blow and scatter everywhere, which is easy to penetrate into the nostrils of pedestrians and cause allergies and coughs. And it lasts for a long time, which is unspeakably miserable, and the harm to people's health cannot be ignored. At the same time, these poplar catkins gather into clumps with the wind, causing fires are not uncommon.
The poplar catkins raging all over the sky.
These fatal shortcomings of the fast-growing poplar are a headache for the people and experts alike. It is said that forestry experts have been researching new fast-growing poplar varieties without flocculents, but they have not yet been promoted. People look at the fast-growing poplars everywhere today, and compare them with the tomentosa in the past, which is really indescribable. Once upon a time, some people gave up our native tree species in order to pursue immediate interests, which led to the current passive situation, I wonder if they can feel ashamed in their hearts? Today, for the sake of health and environmental protection, we want to shout: Tomentos, come back!