An Overview of the Current Situation of European Poplar Cultures with a Main Focus on Hungary

Among fast-growing wood species, poplars (Populus spp.) can be grown well. Thanks to their valuable wood, they also play an important role in the world. In Europe, regarding poplar forest areas, Hungary is ranked second, where the territorial proportion of poplars has not changed in the past ten years, and currently, two-thirds of them are constituted by two species. The proportion of grey poplar (P. × canescens) is 42%, while the proportion of ’Pannonia’ hybrid (P. × euramericana cv. Pannonia) is 22%. With regard to gross wood production, they are second after black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), and their standing tree volume is significant for up to 30 years of age. The average age of hybrid poplars is 21 years, while that of the natives is 26 years. Its wood is used by the packaging industry (pallets and boxes) and the furniture industry (700,000 m3), the plywood industry (200,000 m3), and the fiber industry (300,000 m3), but it is also an important source for energetic purposes (150,000 m3).