The author observed that the poplar leaves in Anchorage, Alaska are unusually large this year, possibly due to the long summer. The big leaves seem to be on new branches of trees that were snapped off in a storm, leading the author to wonder if the trees are compensating for the loss of branches and leaves with larger leaves. The trees are believed to be of the balsam poplar species, and an expert from the UAF Cooperative Extension Service suggests that trees often grow larger leaves to compensate for the loss of other branches. The U.S. Forest Service has a brochure on common trees of Alaska.

Observation: I was walking around Cheney Lake and noticed how enormous the poplar leaves are this year. I don't recall ever seeing them this large before. Could this be the result of our long summer? Interestingly, the big leaves seem to be on the new branches of trees that were snapped off in a storm. I wonder if the trees are trying to compensate for lack of branches and leaves with a few super big leaves. Maybe these are the tree's response to injury caused by the big wind storm in September of 2012. Whatever the cause, its pretty impressive. These leaves are as big as a pie plates!

LEO says: We think that these trees are of the balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) species.

UAF Cooperative Extension Service consult: Gino Graziano, Invasive Plant Instructor writes, "Wow that is a big poplar leaf. Poplars and other trees that are young or made smaller by some damage will often grow larger leaves to compensate for the loss of other branches."

Resource: U.S. Forest Service, Common Trees of Alaska, (page 7)