Populus tremuloides

Identification

Description

A deciduous tree to 20 or 30 foot. It does not like to live at lower elevations. It has survived in some spots where it shouldn\'t for a long time. But it is slow compared to its speed at higher elevations or higher latitude. This tree grows from Mexico to the Artic. As it tracks south it moves up in elevation to 9000 feet. It wants to live in a spot that is always moist but not wet. This is easy in a snow field. Hard in the desert. In the right climate,plant and stand back, very fast with regular water. We grow male trees, females have cotton. 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).