Aiming to optimize site-species matching in western Songnen Plain, we compared growth performance, wood properties, and morpho-physiological characters of 15-year-old Populus simonii × P. nigra (XH), P. euramericana × P. ussuriensis (HQ) and P. alba × P. berolinensis (YZ). The results showed that height and diameter at breast height of YZ and HQ were significantly greater than that of XH (P<0.05), with the timber volumes being 3.5 and 2.8 times of XH (0.08 m³·individual^-1), respectively. Wood absolute water content followed an order of HQ (140%) > HX (110%) > YZ (73%), whereas the absolute dry density followed an order of YZ (0.45 g·cm^-3) > HX (0.42 g·cm^-3) > HQ (0.38 g·cm^-3). Wood pH and hemicellulose content rather cellulose and lignin content differed significantly among the three species. There were significant differences in xylem anatomy and branch-leaf morphological characters among the species, with YZ having the highest tree-ring width, vessel number, theoretical water conductivity, branch basal area/length ratios and leaf area but the lowest crown width and fresh-weight ratios of leaves and branches. Generally, the concentrations of N, P and K in leaves were significantly higher than that of branches (P<0.05) for the three species. YZ had significantly higher concentrations of N, chlorophyll, free amino acids, but lower concentrations of NO₃^--N, NH₄^--N, and ratios of C/P (P<0.05) in leaf, than the other two species. HQ had significantly higher concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates and ratios of C/N and C/K in leaf than the other species. YZ had significantly higher leaf photochemical efficiency than XH and higher leaf ratios of N/K than HQ. In summary, YZ can be preferentially selected for planting in western Songnen Plain. However, in the perspective of wood properties, HQ may not be an appropriate species in comparison with XH.