It’s May
so why is it snowing? That’s not snow floating in the breeze and accumulating
on the roads, it’s the seeds of the black cottonwood tree. Like dandelions, the
black cottonwood’s seeds are attached to a white feathery substance. Allergy
sufferers throughout the west lament this time of year because of the
cottonwood snow.
Scientific
name: Populus
trichocarpa
Kingdom: Plantae
(plants)
Class: Magnoliopsida
(dicots)
Order: Malpighiales
Range: Southern
Alaska to northern Baja California east to western Montana and Alberta
Habitat: Riparian
woodlands, moist areas
Lifespan:
70 years on average
Diet: Sunlight,
carbon dioxide, water, and soil minerals
Predators:
voles, mice, rabbits, deer, elk, slugs, insects (moths, tent caterpillars,
borers), fungi
Conservation
Status: No special protection
Other
Information: Black cottonwood is the largest western hardwood species. Every
cottonwood I’ve seen is near water. Not surprising then that it takes forever
for the wood to season before you can burn it. Because it is usually found near
water, it can be a great tool to use if you get lost in the woods. Look for the
tall tree with glossy leaves and follow the water downstream to civilization. It
is used to make pulp and veneers. In addition to windborne seeds on those
cotton tufts, cottonwood also reproduces through cloning. Stumps will sprout
and cutting can grow into a new tree.
This
week’s information comes from USDA’s Forest Service Silvics Manual. Lifespan
information come from Northern State University.
 |
| This cottonwood is estimated at about 140 feet tall |
 |
| The glossy leaf. Note in the background the lighter underside of the leaf |
 |
| A look at the thick bark |
USDA: https://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/populus/trichocarpa.htm
Northern
State: https://www3.northern.edu/natsource/TREESA1/Easter1.htm
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