eastern cottonwood

(Populus deltoides ssp. deltoides)

Conservation Status
eastern cottonwood
Photo by Randy
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

FAC - Facultative

     
  Midwest

FAC - Facultative

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FAC - Facultative

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Twigs are mostly reddish-brown, becoming tan or gray as they age. Winter buds are hairless.

Early season leaves are relatively short-tapered (acuminate) at the tip. When they first emerge the underside is covered with long, soft, straight hairs. There are usually 3 to 6 finger-like, club-shaped glands at the base of the blade where it meets the leaf stalk (petiole). There are usually 12 to 20, sometimes up to 30, teeth per side of the early season leaf. Later season (neoformed) leaves are usually distinctly longer than wide.

Flower stalks are variable in length, both long and short.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

60 to 80

 
     
 

Record

 
 

There are no state champions of non-native trees.

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

Male reddish, female greenish

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera) twigs are mostly yellowish-brown, becoming tan as they age. Winter buds are covered with short, stiff hairs. Early season leaves are long acuminate at the tip. When they first emerge their underside is hairless. There are usually only 1 or 2 glands at the base of the leaf. There are just 7 to 15, sometimes up to 21, teeth per side of the early season leaf. Neoformed leaves are about as long as wide. Flower stalks are uniformly short.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Moist. Bottomland deciduous woodlands. Full sun. Sandy or silty loam.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

April

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

3, 4, 8, 24, 29, 30.

3, 4*, 8, 24, 29, 30.

The map at left shows one occurrence in White Oaks Park in Rochester and one in Prospect Park in Minneapolis (light green on the map). and one in Albert Lea. Apart from the one sighting in Albert Lea (dark green), this subspecies has not been recorded outside of cultivation in Minnesota.

 
  4/24/2023    
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native south and east of Minnesota, including Ontario, Illinois, and Iowa

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

 

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants) / Angiospermae (flowering plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Rosanae  
 

Order

Malpighiales (nances, willows, and allies)  
 

Family

Salicaceae (willow)  
  Subfamily Salicoideae  
  Tribe Saliceae  
  Genus Populus (poplars, cottonwoods, and aspens)  
  Section Aigeiros  
  Species Populus deltoides (eastern cottonwood)  
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Populus angulata

Populus angulata var. missouriensis

Populus balsamifera var. missouriensis

Populus balsamifera var. pilosa

Populus balsamifera var. virginiana

Populus canadensis var. virginiana

Populus deltoides var. angulata

Populus deltoides var. virginiana

Populus deltoides var. pilosa

Populus deltoides var. missouriensis

Populus nigra var. virginiana

Populus palmeri

Populus virginiana

Populus virginiana var. pilosa

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

broad-leaved cottonwood

eastern cottonwood

eastern poplar

necklace poplar

southern cottonwood

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Acuminate

Gradually tapering with concave sides to a sharply pointed tip.

 

Petiole

On plants: The stalk of a leaf blade or a compound leaf that attaches it to the stem. On ants and wasps: The constricted first one or two segments of the rear part of the body.

 

 

 
 
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Randy

 
 

trees in Albert Lea

 
    eastern cottonwood   eastern cottonwood  
           
 

Eastern cottonwood leaf, Freeborn Co., MN, May 2017

 
    eastern cottonwood      
           
 

Wind blown seed

 
    eastern cottonwood      
           
 

Seed

 
    eastern cottonwood      
           
 

Bark on a giant Eastern Cottonwood near MN/IA border

 
    eastern cottonwood      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

 

 
           

 

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slideshow

       
 
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Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

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  Randy
5/28/2017

Location: Albert Lea

eastern cottonwood  
  Randy
5/26/2017

Location: Freeborn Co., MN

eastern cottonwood leaf

eastern cottonwood  
  Randy
5/23/2017

Location: near MN/IA border

Bark on a giant Eastern Cottonwood near MN/IA border

eastern cottonwood  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

 

 

 

 

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Created: 5/24/2017

Last Updated:

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