Cottonwood Populus deltoides Marsh

Cottonwood Populus deltoides Marsh

Leaves:

	The leaves are simple, alternate, triangular in a shape, and pointed at the end.
	The blades can be five inches wide and often that broad.
	The leaf edges are rounded and toothed.
	The topside of the leaf is a darker green, smooth and shiny. The underside is paler than the top.
	The leafstalks can be up to four inches and often a yellow color.

Bark:

When the tree is young it has smooth, gray bark, but when it grows to maturity it becomes furrowed (like the rows in fields).

Flower:

	The staminate (stamen) is on one tree and the pistillate is on another both of these appear before the leaves start to unfold.
	The staminate is in red, thick, crowded catkins. A catkin is like a fox tail.
	The pistillate (pistil) are not as crowded and have greenish-yellow catkins.

Fruit:

The fruit is elliptical (egg shaped), has greenish- brown capsules that can be up to 1/4 inch long, and grouped in elongated (stretched out) clusters containing a lot of seeds with cotton like hairs attached.

Growth Form:

The growth form for these trees is amazing. The trees can grow upwards of 100 feet in a very short time! The trunk can be up to eight feet in diameter and even bigger than that sometimes. The crown (top) of the tree is spreading or mostly round. The biggest tree in Illinois is 28 feet 6 inches in circumference.

Distribution:

The eastern cottonwood goes from New Hampshire to southeastern North Dakota. It also ranges from south central Texas going east to northern Florida.

Discussion:

	The cottonwood grows best in damp soil, for instance along banks of streams and rivers.
	The wood is very light weight, soft, and easily warped.
	There are two uses for cottonwood, they are pulpwood and fuel.
	The "cotton" that floats in the air in the fall comes from these trees, hence the name Cottonwood.
	This tree is also known as the eastern cottonwood.


Cottonwood Bark	Cottonwood Buds

Cottonwood leaves and arrangement	Cottonwood stem and bud

Location:

Cumberland High School, 1496 IL Route 121, Toledo, IL 62468

GPS Coordinates:

	Location: N 39° 15.375' W 088° 11.569'
	Elevation: 608 feet
	Distance: 17.96 feet
	Bearing: NW

References:

	Mohlenbrock, Robert H. Forest Trees of Illinois. 8th Edition. Springfield: Illinois Department of Natural of Resources, n.d.
	Abrams, Marc, et. al. "Populus deltoides" n.d. 21 Oct. 2004. <http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/popdel/all.html>.
	MSN Maps and Directions. n.d. 27 Oct. 2004 <www.mapblast.com>.

Contact Information: lstarwalt@cumberland.k12.il.us

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