Early Evaluation of Promising White Poplar (Populus alba L.) Clones in Hungary

White poplar (Populus alba L.) and its natural hybrid, grey poplar (Populus x canescens) are native stand-forming tree species in Hungary, covering 3.4 per cent of the forested area (64 000 ha). More than 70 per cent of their stands and plantations can be found on calcareous sandy sites in the Danube–Tisza region, so they play a significant role in the poplar growing of this part of the country. One of the most important tasks ahead of Hungarian poplar growers is to improve the quality of poplar stands and plantations for wood production based on selecting relatively drought-tolerant clones and cultivars. In the paper the juvenile growth and the morphological characteristics of four micropropagated white poplar clones have been evaluated on a marginal site in central Hungary. The clones ‘H-337’ (P. alba x P. grandidentata) and ‘H-384‘ (P. alba x P. grandidentata) appear to be especially promising for quality wood production under arid hydrological conditions.