Below: A leaf comparison of the four Minnesota native species of Populus plus the introduced P. alba. Provided by USDA NRCS Bismarck PMC (NDPMC). Male Catkins: Below- 1st photo - partially elongated catkin; 2nd photo - the male flowers just emerging; 3rd photo - The male flowers fully developed with the stamens on filaments from the basal disc of the flower. A database that provides information on more than 200 native tree and shrub species, and on almost 300 insects and 200 diseases found in Canada's forests. Colorado's major tree species include bristlecone pine, Colorado blue spruce, Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, limber pine, lodgepole pine, narrowleaf cottonwood, quaking aspen, piñon pine, plains cottonwood, ponderosa pine, Rocky Mountain juniper, subalpine fir and white fir. Photo Nov. 10, 2017 near the Rio Grande River at Bernado NM. Read on for more cottonwood tree facts. Provided by ND State Soil Conservation Committee. Cottonwood trees in autumn; Edness K. Wilkins State Park, Wyoming. The author names for the plant classification are as follows: First to publish was ‘Bartram’ which refers to John Bartram (1699-1777) early American botanist and explorer who traveled extensively in the colonies collecting plants. Members of the willow family, cottonwoods are named for the cotton-like mass of hairs surrounding their seeds. Both male and female catkins have (+ or -) 15 to 40 individual flowers. They have a basal disk, a 4 chambered ovary and pistil with 2 to 4 flattened stigmata. Deciduous Tree Type: Shade Tree: Tree Habit: Round, Pyramidal, Dense Branching: Mature Size (generic) These trees have a widespread foliage that can extend to 5 feet in diameter. Come join me at www.peacockorchard.com . A crushed twig has a bitter aspirin taste. In the U.S. the range is from the Rocky Mountain states of Montana south to New Mexico eastward as far as Texas and Oklahoma and then up to Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin. Flowers: Catkins, male-female on separate trees. North Dakota tree handbook. Great Plains cottonwood (P. sargentii), of North America, has thick coarse-toothed leaves. Below: 1st photo - Plains Cottonwood leaves have long pointed tips and straight to heart-shaped bases, curved (slightly hooked) coarse teeth on the margin and a slender flattened stalk that has 2 glands at the base. Below: The brilliant fall color of a Rio Grande Cottonwood, P. deltoides subsp. The Plains Cottonwood is a large native deciduous tree forming a tall trunk, up to 100 feet high and diameters often larger than 4 feet. Bark: Yellowish-green and smooth on young trees but deeply furrowed in maturity. Other massive 5 to 6-ft driver bottom specimens are not uncommon. Photo of cottonwood seeds by Steve Hurst / USDA/NRCS Plants Database. They are related to poplars and aspens. The Plains cottonwood is also the largest broadleaf tree of Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Female catkins (pistillate) appear singly or in opposite pairs, are green and the individual small flowers are stalked. The color is red to yellow and each small flower on the catkin has a saucer shape basal disk with 30 to 40 stamens. It has long been prized in the Great Plains where it … It is fast growing, in fact the fastest growing tree in North America, growing 6 ′ to 12 ′ per year under favorable conditions. No other tree approaches its stature on the grasslands that sweep five hundred miles from the ninety-eighth meridian to the foot of the Rockies. "www.friendsofthewildflowergarden.org". Male Catkins: Below 1st photo - the catkin prior to elongation. Plains Cottonwood David F. Van Haverbeke Eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides), one of the largest eastern hardwoods, is short-lived but the fastest-growing commercial forest species in North America. The crown is open and spreading with slightly drooping stout branches. Comparisons: There are three subspecies of this tree that somewhat overlap geographically. Distribution principally from W1, W2 and 28C. The leaves are broad, glossy, and light-green in color. The catkin stalks are of uniform length. Below: 1st photo - the upper branches which have smoother gray-ish white bark. In 1765 he became “The King’s Botanist” for North America. USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU Extension and Western Area Power Administration, Bismarck. are native along many streams and rivers in the Western United States. Cottonwoods (Populus deltoids) are massive shade trees that grow naturally throughout the United States. Trees require full sun and are generally shade intolerant. The subspecies recognized as the native to Minnesota is subsp. Flowers appear before the leaves and are wind pollinated. Names: The genus Populus is the Latin name for the Poplar. Cottonwood Pole Planting Guide. I'm waiting for leaf fall at the tree at my work so I can take cuttings and put them in the pond. Uses: Cottonwood wood is light, soft and weak but has a uniform texture so it is used in plywood, paper pulp, and lumber for uses not requiring bending or compression strength. Mature trees in the state are usually 60 ′ to 80 ′ tall and up to 36 ″ in diameter at breast height. Trees need to be about 10 to 15 years of age to produce seed. According to the county sign installed in the visitors’ viewing area, the plains cottonwood typically is a quick growing, short-lived tree with a life expectancy of about 90 years. Plant cottonwoods only if your house has a large expanse of outdoor land for maximum effect. Habitat: Plains Cottonwood in its native habitat is found in moist bottomlands. Fall color is a brilliant yellow. Also known as Fremont cottonwood or Rio Grande cottonwood, this tree is commonly found near water bodies of arid regions. This tree should not be planted near wells and underground water pipes. Above: Various tree shapes of Cottonwood. Two others are reported: One is a native cross - P. X jackii, Jack's Cottonwood, which is usually sterile [The DNR does not track county populations of it]; and the other is the introduced P. alba, White Poplar. Plains Cottonwood does not sucker; it can re-sprout from a stump but not vigorously but is a vigorous self-seeder. But nothing sounds quite like the whisper of a plains cottonwood’s glossy, shimmering leaves sighing in the wind, as if … Images not to scale. They are related to poplars and aspens. The example in the 1st photo has multiple trunks branching close to the base and is squeezed around a shorter Black Willow on the right side. The species, deltoides, is from the Greek letter 'Delta' and refers to the delta shape of the leaf. It grows best on moist well-drained sands or silts near streams, often in pure stands. ), not the cottonwood tree.] The Plains Cottonwood, (Populus deltoids occidentalis,) was adopted as Wyoming state tree on February 1, 1947. Notes: Plains Cottonwood is considered indigenous to the Garden area and Susan Wilkins added some young plants in 2011 to enhance the tree canopy in the woodland area. Lombardy poplar (P. nigra) is a columnar form that is much planted. Usage Requirements. The area that had been accidentally dug up by the excavator had really nicely established cottonwood and aspen on it. The leaf tapers to a long pointed tip. During the tough years living in wild prairie plains where trees were a rarity, Native Americans derived great benefits from the cottonwood trees that would grow in the harsh conditions nonetheless. The later leaves will be different in size and number of teeth and are the last to fall from the tree in Autumn. Leaves are triangular, 3 to 7 inches long and 3 to 5 inches wide, alternate, simple, with long pointed tips and straight to heart-shaped bases and curved (slightly hooked) coarse teeth on the margin. These trees can be enormous in size and prune themselves, sometimes dropping Cadillac size branches. Cottonwood … It has 0 leaf glands and winter buds with hair. Wood is used in commercial production of things such as wooden pallets and paper. Twigs are very stout, brownish, with slight angles. The largest known specimen in Minnesota (2020) is in Chippewa County - height 106 feet, crown spread 110 feet, circumference 394 inches. One of the cultivated male varieties, “Straight Plains” or ‘Jeronimus’ cottonwood keeps a straight main leader, is tolerant of many soil types and conditions, and can make a nice shade tree in landscapes that provide enough room for this tree to mature. 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