Cottonwood

The Cottonwood is found along streams throughout the state. The tree is easily propagated by cuttings and grows rapidly, hence it has been widely planted to get shade quickly. The tree is often unsatisfactory for shade because it begins to shed its leaves by midsummer. The cotton-bearing seeds from the pistallate tree are often a nuisance. The soft wood is easily broken by the winds; and the rank growth of the roots often results in stopping drain pipes and cracking and lifting sidewalks. The audible slapping together of the stiff leaves in a breeze is distinctive of the Populus genus.

The LEAVES are simple, alternate, broadly ovate or triangular, pointed, square at the base, and coarsely toothed on the edges, 3 to 5 inches across each way, covered with soft white hairs on the underside, supported by flattened slender petioles, 2 to 3 inches long. The winter buds are covered with chestnut-brown, resinous scales. The male and female FLOWERS are in catkins on separate trees and appear before the leaves. The FRUIT, a capsule, contains a number of seeds with white silky hairs which permit the winds to carry the seed for long distances.

The WOOD is soft, lightweight, warps easily upon drying, but is used for many purposes; sometimes as a substitute for yellow poplar or linden.