Populus trichocarpa

Identification

Gallery

Description

Populus trichocarpa,  Black Cottonwood.is a deciduous tree, fast to 100'. Native from San Diego County to Alaska. I've seen it a quarter mile from the ocean where the salt spray had blown the top off. Inland a little in another spot where the wind could not get to it it grew into a magical 80' tree, straight as an arrow up into the sky. Its dark green leaves contrasting beautifully with its white trunk. This tree will become more drought tolerant when it is established. Excellent bird and butterfly plant. Very, very fast. We have a tree house 20' up in one that is 10 years old. It has a 12" trunk at chest height and is 30-40' tall. .
An excellent shade tree. Keep away from septic system. Do not plant under power lines. Cottonwoods are important bird and butterfly plants. Cottonwoods are amongst the water shunt plants of nature. Use them next to a water source(such as a lawn) to shunt water to the rest of you planting. Cottonwoods will get very shallow roots if you water shallowly. If you put one next to a lawn do not water the lawn daily (you shouldn't anyway), strech the watering out to once a week or so or you will have a bumpy lawn (from the roots).