Abstract: Poplars are important tree species for industrial plantations in our country. Populus tomentosa is the native species widely planted in China. The imported elite hybrid clones selected from crosses between P. deltoides and P. euroamericana dominant the majority of the poplar plantations. An epidemic outbreak of leaf rust disease caused by Melampsora spp. has not been observed in the commercial plantations in our country. However, leaf rust disease is one of the most damaging diseases that affect cultivated poplars in many regions in the world. Leaf rust infections can cause substantial damage to poplar plantations. As one of the most important cultivated commercial tree species, poplar breeding materials are frequently exchanged internationally. Thus various Melampsora species are spreading out fast nowadays. The better understanding of the genetic mechanism for the resistance to leaf rusts is essentially important to control the outbreak of the epidemic of leaf rusts. Which pathogenic species can cause most of the damages and what kind of breeding strategy should be taken for leaf rusts resistance? The recent accomplished Poplar Genome Sequencing Project revealed that the R genes commonly clustered in the poplar genome. Thus how to clone the physically independent R gene is a good question to explore. The progress in the study of leaf rust diseases in poplars is reviewed. The objectives of the paper is to supply reference for importing activities and for rust disease resistance breeding programs in poplars.