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Champion Information:
Height (Ft): 151
Circumference (In): 282
Average Crown Spread (Ft):113
Total Points: 461
Nominator Name: Mark Corbet
Location: Harney County
Species Information:
Uses
Timber: The wood of eastern cottonwood is light, soft, and weak. It is not durable, warps badly in drying, and is difficult to season. It is used principally for containers, interior parts of furniture, corestock in plywood, and high-grade pulp.
Erosion control: It is
planted on strip mine spoils for erosion control and wood production. Male, non-hybrid adapted clones make good
selections for windbreaks in multi-row installations.
Recreation: Due to its rapid
growth rate, it is frequently used for providing quick shade around
recreational developments, campsites and picnic areas.
Landscape and beautification:
This species is occasionally planted as an ornamental shade tree, however
caution should be used because the tree grows large and is susceptible to wind
and ice damage.
Wildlife: Seedlings and young
trees are browsed by rabbits, deer, and domestic stock. Beavers use saplings and poles for food and
dam construction.
Status
Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g. threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).
Description
Populus deltoides Bartr. ex Marsh., eastern cottonwood, is a fast-growing tree which reaches 80 to l00 feet in height and 3 to 4 feet in diameter. It is a relatively short-lived tree, seldom surviving for more than 80 years.
The leaves are broadly
triangular, ovate in outline, 3 to 5 inches long and nearly as wide. They are dark green, lustrous above, and
paler and smooth beneath. The marginal
teeth are somewhat hooked, being larger toward the leaf base and smaller toward
the pointed tip.
Twigs are rather stout, round,
and distinctly enlarged at the nodes.
The conical, pointed buds are smooth, glossy, and olive-brown to
reddish-brown in color. The bark of
younger trees is rather smooth and greenish-gray. On older trunks it becomes ashy-gray and is
roughened by long, deep, longitudinal and interconnecting furrows.
Adaptation and Distribution
Cottonwood makes its best growth on moist, well-drained, fine sandy loams or silt loams. Coarse sands and heavy clay soils are not satisfactory. It has been found to be relatively tolerant of drier sites as shown by survival and growth of trees planted on strip mine spoil. Cottonwood is resistant to flood damage and usually tolerates a soil pH range of 4.5 to 8.0.
Eastern cottonwood is distributed throughout the East and Midwest. For a current distribution map, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Website.
Establishment
Natural regeneration of cottonwood is usually by seed. Propagation by cuttings is the usual method of vegetative reproduction. The best planting stock is unrooted cuttings from 1 to 3 year old seedlings. Cuttings are planted while dormant with sufficient cultivation to reduce competition.
Management
If this tree is planted for intensive culture management care must be taken to reduce completion from weed and other unwanted vegetation. On wide spacing, disking between the rows can be used to control vegetation. Care must also be taken to avoid over grazing by deer and other animals. Around buildings the plant may prove to be a nuisance. The silky-haired seeds of the female plants can clog gutters and the shallow root system may interfere with sewer lines.
Pests and Potential Problems
Eastern cottonwood can be seriously damaged by wood boring insects that attacks the main stem, branches and root system. Many leaf feeding insects can also reduce the growth and vigor of young trees. Leaf rust, leaf spot, and cankers reduce tree vigor and growth and in severe cases cause tree mortality.
From Plant Database: www.plants.usda.gov
