An alameda is a place populated by poplars, although the use of the term also extends to other types of groves of trees such as elm, oak, hackberry, linden, mulberry or plane tree.

When poplars grow on a river bank and are spontaneous, they are part of the natural landscape. There are also groves planted as tree alignments by man, in order to raise trees of timber interest. Other tree alignments have been planted for construction purposes to settle unstable terrain. In this way, plantations on large dams served to contain the land, which formed dams on the banks of rivers, canals and lakes. This has been done since the last century in the Netherlands; or on walls and slopes of military fortifications, as was done in Luca "San Luca (Italy)"), Italy. Some of these avenues made of slopes, and not planned for recreation, soon became spontaneously frequented by men as a result of the shade produced by the rows of trees in the hot months.

On the contrary, if the set of poplars and other varieties of trees were planned, thought out and planted by man for ornamental and recreational purposes, they are part of gardening. These tree-lined promenades or parks have often been the oldest type of public and popular garden.[1] The noun alameda translates into French as "allée" or "promenade plantée", in English as "the mall". Examples are: in New York The Mall, in Central Park; and in London The Mall "The Mall (London)") in St. James's Park. However, in English it is also called "allée" and finally in German it is called "allee". It always refers, at least initially, to a small street between two rows, or more, of trees. However, over time, the tree-lined track may have changed its appearance due to the loss of the trees; Despite this, its name was not changed, which may have remained frozen as the place's toponym.

Basically we know two types of avenues: those frequently planted on the edges of roads, simple alignment of trees. The first alignments, as simple lines on the edges of roads, began to be planted around the walls of medieval European cities, as occurred in the Italian city of Lucca (Tuscany). Another type of avenues were those formed by numerous alignments to create a large shaded space, in places where concentrations of any type were held. The large spaces shaded with poplars were intended for markets and to be the scene of the most diverse recreational activities, including pilgrimages, dances and athletic, military and equestrian training. In Central European gardening, especially in Flanders and France, as well as in Italy, the access paths of the large noble and aristocratic villas were also decorated with alignments of trees and were arranged as main walks in the gardens. Since the 19th century, with the progress of new horse-drawn carriages, they were the setting for pleasant rides with cars and carriages. The oldest planted avenue, and therefore a garden, and open to everyone, and therefore public, that is preserved in Europe today is the Alameda de Hércules in Seville (1574).[2]​.