Minnesota has more ash trees than any other state – more than one billion. And that means there are a lot of happy and satiated emerald ash borers here. The invasive beetle’s larvae feed on the ash tree's inner bark, killing the tree.
As of 2022, the City of Duluth alone has lost about a thousand boulevard ash trees, and who knows how many more are dying on private property and public woodlands. The loss of those trees is felt by humans and wildlife alike, and replacing their verdant canopy can take decades.
There are tree species that can fill that canopy gap much faster, growing 3 - 5 feet per year. But the Natural Resources Research Institute in Duluth has developed an especially fast-growing tree in the hybrid poplar family.
The common poplar is often overlooked as a landscape tree, but thanks to NRRI’s research, poplar popularity is gaining and for good reason. These hybrid poplars, developed via selective breeding, have one very important super power – they can grow incredibly fast.
The University of Minnesota’s first patented hybrid poplar, the InnovaTree™, can grow up to 10 feet per year under ideal conditions. This fast growth means faster canopy coverage, faster carbon capture, faster shade and faster screening. And InnovaTree is bred so it doesn’t sucker and spread or propagate via cotton seeds.
That fast growth has even more attributes. Poplar trees are inexpensive, which is very important when there are thousands of trees to replace due to an invasive beetle kill or a storm blow-down. Nurseries can sell the trees at a younger age, which means less overhead expense to grow. Those savings are then passed on to the homeowners and municipalities, allowing for more trees planted at less cost.
There are many wonderful trees you can plant to celebrate Earth Day (April 22) or Arbor Day (April 25) but poplars, especially the InnovaTree, is one you can actually observe growing. And with a life expectancy of 70-plus years, it will be there for future generations, too.
For more information on how to grow and where to buy InnovaTree, please visit the InnovaTree website: innovatree.umn.edu