Plains Cottonwood differs only slightly from the Black Cottonwood often found along streams or in areas that are moist and open. A Tree and a member of the Salicaceae Family, it grows by Kiosk 05. Pilchuck Learning Center’s sponsored Western Washington State University SAM Project extinction possibility is slight
Abundant, also found in the Rocky Mountains with little chance of extinction. It is a tall, fast growing, rough barked deciduous tree; 3 large trees stand to the right of Kiosk 05. Its leaves are alternate simple and large, dark green above and silvery to rusty brown below. Its seeds, held in hairy white capsules, resemble cotton floating from the sky. This is the largest of the hardwood trees native to Cascadia and the Rocky Mountains. It is used for paper pulp and in the production of plywood. Look for the rough wood and floating cotton with their seeds. In the summer, they consume over 200 gallons/day. Think of the energy required to lift that much water to the top of a 120’ tall tree! Many small cottonwoods are planted along the Gardens’ Pond bank. They are competing via their root systems for resources, while giving off chemicals that silently assist certain trees while denying others.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populus_trichocarpa
https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=POBAT
http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Populus+balsamifera+ssp.+trichocarpa
https://www.plc215.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Kiosk-05.pdf
https://owic.oregonstate.edu/black-cottonwood-populus-trichocarpa
https://burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Populus%20trichocarpa
http://www.burkemuseum.org/research-and-collections/botany-and-herbarium/collections/database/results.php?Genus=Populus&Species=trichocarpa&SourcePage=search.php&IncludeSynonyms=Y&SortBy=DESC&SortOrder=Year
The cotton that sails through the air each Spring holds what part of the cottonwood tree?
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