Common name: PLAINS COTTONWOOD
One of the fastest growing native trees; a parent of many poplar selections and hybrids; produces cottony seed fluff; riparian species.
Latin name: Populus deltoides Bartr. Ex. Marsh
Type of tree: broadleaf (native)
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Bark (colour and texture): smooth; yellowish gray; becoming dark gray and deeply furrowed with age
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Leaves (shape, size, etc.): triangular; 5 - 10 centimetres long; 5 - 15 rounded teeth per side and rounded base; upper surface bright shiny green, slightly paler beneath; often pendulous
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Form: large tree; can have large branches
Height: 30 metres
Growth rate: very fast
Fruit and flowers: long catkins; 15 - 25 cm long; seed capsules oval; 8 to 12 mm long split into 3 or 4 parts when mature
Soil: prefers rich moist soils; commonly found in prairies along water courses
Limitations: produces cottony bundles of wind-dispersed seeds
