In the 70s, these trees were highly touted for their fast growth in
any soil. The approximate estimated life was 50 years, far longer
than the junky Lombardy poplar.

I personally planted 300-400, the best variety of which was the
Androscoggin poplar. Within 10 years, they were 50-80 ft, and the
Androscoggin had a wide crown and thick trunk to boot. Some autumns
they yielded a bright, buttery leaf. You could break off a stem,
stick it in the ground, and have a tree in no time. The only chore
with this cloning method of propagation was that you had to keep weeds
away for two years until they were established. If you planted one
that already had roots, no weeding was needed.

OK, that was the good news. If you decide to go with hybrid pops, be
aware that they eventually show thick protruding roots than can mess
up mower blades. Of course, that's the case with lots of trees. But
in 20-25 years, they come down. Sometimes the whole thing comes down
in storms. More often, the top 1/3 of the trunk simply breaks off.
It is dry and dead, while the rest of the tree is still filled with
sap. Strange .. and ugly. This was especially true with the
non-Androscoggin varieties.

Except for one humongous Androscoggin at the edge of the property, all
have either come down on their own or I had them taken down. Got
tired of cleaning up hybrid mess in the neighbor's field.