65. Lombardy Poplar

Tree Tour

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Along Stevens Way, in front of both Architecture and Cunningham Halls, are Lombardy Poplars. These are towering columnar trees whose burly trunks date from the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Exposition, and whose leaves have fluttered annually ever since. Since the clone combines memorable form of growth with constitutional power, and is readily reproduced by suckers, it has become a common, well known tree in many parts of the world. It originated as a chance mutation in Italy in the late 1600s or early 1700s. Western Washington suits it better than about anywhere else in the U.S., so we have a large number of old, landmark specimens.

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