Ordering poplars and willows
We produce poplars and willows primarily for erosion control to reduce the amount of sediment reaching our waterways. For this reason, we focus on supplying poplars and willows to farms with steep land vulnerable to erosion.
Due to their different rooting characteristics, poplars are well suited to hold hill slopes together, whereas willows are best used in gulleys and streams.
Our nursery opens for orders in autumn each year, ahead of the main June to August planting season. If you would like to purchase poplars and willows at other times, direct sales are available from our nursery on selected days in August. Alternatively, you can purchase from these Northland suppliers:
If you are interested in ordering our poplars and/or willows, please contact our Land Management team on 0800 002 004 or email us at nursery@nrc.govt.nz with your name, address and phone number.
Alternatively, you can fill out our online expression of interest form and a land management advisor will be in touch.
Large orders (20 trees or greater) that are targeting erosion prone areas are eligible for significantly reduced prices via an erosion control subsidy. Contact our team on 0800 002 004 or nursery@nrc.govt.nz for an up-to-date price list.
2025 Price list (Ex-nursery)
| Item | Subsidised price (incl GST, Northland only) | Unsubsidised Price | |
| Within Northland | Outside Northland | ||
| Pole (3m) | $5.75 | $17.25 | $23.00 |
| Stake (1.5-2m) | $3.45 | $9.20 | $11.15 |
| Wand (1m) | $1.15 | $5.40 | $5.40 |
| Dynex pole sleeves | $8.60 (incl GST) |
We prioritise orders for erosion control. Once these are completed, we will make material available for other purposes, such as shelterbelts and stock shade.
Northland Regional Council subsidises the cost of a contractor to plant poplars and willows for erosion control.
| Services | Maximum subsidised rate |
| Planting 3m poles by contractors | Up to $7 per pole. Landowner must provide evidence of having engaged contractor via contractor invoice to landowner. |
| Planting 1m wand by contractors | Up to $1 per stake/wand. Landowner must provide evidence of having engaged contractor via contractor invoice to landowner. |
Please note: To request the subsidy, please contact our Land Management team:
Not sure what variety of poplar or willow to plant? Check out the table below, download a copy of our ‘Erosion Control: Poplar and Willow planting guide’ (PDF, 1.4MB) or check out our ‘Trees for erosion control’ page.
| Tree type | Cultivar/clone | Parentage | Description |
| Poplar | Kawa | P. deltoides × P. yunnanensis | Medium size crown. Best poplar for timber. Holds foliage late into autumn. Good for soil conservation. Plant on lower slopes and valley basins. Good leaf rust and possum resistance but vulnerable to toppling in extreme wind. |
| Otahuao | P. deltoides x P. nigra | Medium size crown. Good wind and drought tolerance. Excellent for erosion control. Best planted on mid to low slopes. Rust resistant but is possum palatable. Female. | |
| Veronese | P. deltoides x P. nigra | Straight stem and narrow crown. Medium possum and rust resistance. More drought resistant and wind hardy than most poplars, excellent for soil erosion control. Commonly used on windy exposed sites. | |
| Crowsnest | (P. deltoides x P. nigra) x P. nigra NZ 5010 | Tall, narrow poplar. Used for shelterbelts as branches are light and require little or no side trimming. Used for erosion control, as it is reasonably drought tolerant. Low-moderate rust and fungal resistance and palatable to possums. Female. | |
| Tree willow | Tangoio | S. matsudana x S. alba | More drought tolerant than other tree willows. Specially selected for slope stabilisation, gully control and shelter, holding lower branches better than other forms. Fantastic livestock fodder. Ideal for pollarding. Female clone. Not recommended for planting along permanent waterways. |
| Shrub willow | Awanui | S. lasiolepis × S. viminalis | Vigorous multi-stemmed willow up to 10m high. Possum and rabbit resistant. Also resistant to giant willow aphid and leaf rust. Suitable for gully and erosion control but should not be planted at the very edge of stream banks. The large stems of this shrub willow are not flexible and could be damaged by high stream flows. Osier willows such as S. purpurea and S. viminalis with slender flexible stems are best used for stabilising the edge of stream banks, with ‘Awanui’ planted further back on the stream bank, away from the stream edge. |
| Glenmark | S. purpurea | A multi-stemmed vigorous and spreading tree that grows up to 8m high. It tolerates acidic soils but is moderately palatable to possums. Survival rates have varied across sites. Suitable for stream bank planting. | |
| Kinuyanagi | S. Kinuyanagi | Japanese fodder willow. A vigorous, multi-stemmed tree to provide fodder for livestock. Best grown in a sunny position where soils are fertile, moist and free draining. May grow to 6m in height and width. Not suitable for stream bank planting. |