White poplar is the only species with the maple-like leaves. And they are considered invasive in selected areas, primarily New England. It spreads aggressively from root suckers and in time can form large clonal communities that choke out native species. Also very brittle wood and tend to lose limbs easily in storms.

Someone suggested Italian Maple? could it be? i looked up acer opalus not sure

That would be a 'common name'. In my neck of the woods they call it 'silver maple' because the leaves look like a maple and they don't know any different.

Populus alba is native to Africa, Asia and Europe so yes it could be called 'Italian maple' by the local people but it's all the same tree = Populus alba.

Anita, I see you edited your post since I posted and I didn't see it until now.

Acer Opualus leaves are completely different shape and the backs of leaves are not white.

Any suggestions regarding controlling this?

Thank you all for the information the back of the leaves are indeed white so i now at least now what we’re dealing with, not happily

The trees in the photos are very narrow and columnar, so suspect they may be the cultivar 'Pyramidalis'.....which looks remarkably like Lombardy poplar (except for the leaf shape) and that IS an Italian selection!! So "Italian trees" is not too far off the mark :-)

I've never tackled an octopus of a plant like this one.

With most trees, you can cut them down and then immediately use either full strength glyphosate 43% or undiluted triclopyr on the face of the stumps, to kill the roots.

Depending on how widespread the roots currently are, you may still have some follow up work on the roots/sprouts that are too far from the origin stumps to be affected by the root killer.

Chopping the main tree(s) down seems to encourage even more excessive root suckering. Not sure what effect treating with herbicide would have but I'd expect multiple applications would be needed.

All populus species tend to be aggressively suckering spreaders. The largest single organism in the world is reported to a be grove of quaking aspens (Populus tremuloides) that covers over 100 acres and are genetically identical to each other and connected by a single root system, essentially making them all one plant.

It's amazing how well treating cut stumps have worked for me. I had several Siberian Elms (Ulmus pumila) over a foot in diameter, I treated with 43% glyphosate. Normally these trees will sprout from the roots and stumps once they're cut. It's been several years now with no show from any of them.

Again, Populus alba will no doubt be a greater challenge than any other tree I can think of, but I still think it will go a long way in extricating the problem. ;-)

Thank you!! sounds like a project!!

Anita, for future reference, Acers ie true Maples, have leaves arranged opposite each other on the stem. So your trees could not be any kind of true Maple, despite the leaf shape.