Rarely seen, yet one of the most attractive of the Chinese balsam poplars, the leaves being a similar size to the well known and loved P. lasiocarpa and the two are sometimes confused. Foliage is elegant and broadly ovate, flushing red in spring and retaining a red midrib, green above and whitish-glaucescent beneath. A strong growing perfectly hardy large tree to 20m+, unlike P. lasiocarpa and adapted to most soils if not excessively dry.