Puntos de Interés
Vegetation
Black poplar
The scientific name of the black poplar - also known as poplar - Populus nigra, translates as "tree of the people". It is a tree species that can grow up to 30 m high and has a slender trunk. Its leaves, rhomboidal or triangular in shape, are deciduous, simple and alternate. As for its fruits, they are capsule-shaped and open when ripe, releasing seeds wrapped in a cotton-like tissue, which is sometimes mistaken for pollen, to facilitate their dispersal in the wind.
The black poplar is the fastest growing native tree species on the Iberian Peninsula and is usually found on riverbanks and in waterlogged areas, where it normally shares its environment with other species such as willow, ash and alder. This is why it is common to find it in environments such as this one in the province of Burgos, where there is an abundance of landscapes dotted with rivers and streams that flow down from the mountain peaks surrounding the imposing Sierra de la Demanda mountain range.
This species can grow in all types of soil, even tolerating soils with a certain degree of salinity, and can be found in locations ranging from sea level to altitudes of 1,800 m above sea level. In terms of its exploitation, due to its rapid growth, its wood is highly valued for the production of pulp, paper, planks and light packaging. It has also been used in the past to dye yellow or green.
