Twigs are slightly angled. Twigs are strongly angled. Leaves are without translucent borders. Leaves are finely toothed and thin. Buds have a brown, varnished appearance, and are often curved toward the twig.
Twigs are glabrous, shiny, and reddish-brown in color.
Foliage is nearly bloomy when mature. Buds are often divergent from the twig. Twigs and buds are gray and hairy. Twigs finally become reddish or orange-brown in color when mature. Silver poplar is longer lived than some of the other poplars.