Populus deltoides W. Bartram ex Marshall
eastern cottonwood
Salicaceae (Willow family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
eastern cottonwood
Salicaceae (Willow family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC
Species Information
General:
Dioecious tree up to 20 m tall; not colonial; branches yellowish-brown to grey; twigs yellowish, smooth.
Leaves:
Alternate, deciduous, simple, triangular, 4-10 cm long, 4-11 cm wide, the bases heart-shaped or squared-off, smooth, finely toothed and hairy, the teeth often callous-tipped, both sides green; leaf stalks 4-14 cm long, often with a pair of glands near the blade; buds finely hairy with fringed scales, resinous.
Flowers:
Borne in catkins; male catkins 5-9 cm long, soon deciduous, with 40-60 stamens; female catkins 8-15 cm long.
Fruits:
Capsules, egg-shaped, carpels 3-4, smooth, short-stalked.
Notes:
Two subspecies apparently occur in BC:
1. Winter buds smooth; emerging leaves long-hairy; flower stalks variable in length ....................ssp. Deltoides
1. Winter buds pubescent; emerging leaves smooth; flower stalks uniform in length (less than 6 mm long)..................... ssp. monilifera (W. Aiton) Eckenwalder
USDA Species Characteristics
Flower Colour:
Yellow
Blooming Period:
Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: White
Present over the Spring
Source: The USDA