Cottonwoods - The Tree

Eastern Cottonwood
Populus deltoides (del-TOY-dees) - Salicaceae/Willow Family

I believe we have Eastern Cottonwood Tree's.
I asked some folks on The About.com forestry forum and my State Coordinator as there are several varieties.

The tree has invasive roots that have a natural tendency to seek water. Each year the female releases numerous tiny seeds attached to silky Fluff that are dispersed by he wind.
This "Cotton" can grow into new trees and gives the impression that it is snowing, some fisherman correlate this with good crappie fishing.
Any breeze at all makes the heart-shaped leaves of the Cottonwood twist and turn on their stem creating a glimmering effect.

Measuring Our tree

I had thought mine was very large, then I actually measured it and it wasn't to impressive compared to the others.
Circumference: 215 inches (almost 18 ft) Height: 90 feet, Spread: 90 feet, Points: 395

Measuring almost 18 feet

The Largest Eastern Cottonwood

in the USA is located in Nebraska

Circumference: 444 inches, (37 ft.) Height: 93 feet, Spread: 103 feet, Points: 563, Most Recent Measurement: 2003

The Biggest Tree in the USA is the California, Giant Sequoia, with 1,321 points according to The National Register of Big Trees
http://www.americanforests.org/resources/bigtrees/

Other large Eastern Cottonwoods
Click on the photo below to visit their website
276 inches (23 ft) in circumference located in Minnesota. Photo by Paul Jost.
	300 inches (25 ft) in circumference located in New York. Photo: DYarrow

The Star in the Cottonwood Tree

There is a Native American story about a curious little star that hid in a Cottonwood tree so it could always be near the people on earth and listen to their beautiful music, their laughter, and the kind words they say to one another.

The Makoche Recording Company and the North Dakota Council on the Arts have recorded on an enhanced compact disk,
traditional Dakotah stories told by The Artist : Mary Louise Defender Wilson. A Dakotah elder, born into a family of storytellers on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.
The story is entitled, “My Relatives Say.” and she credits Dale Childs for giving the story to her.

To obtain this CD and hear the full story, contact Makoche Recording Company at 1-800-637-6863

Links
Types of Cottonwood Tree's	More info on the Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides )
Leaf Comparison, Eastern vs Black (Populus Trichocarpa)	A large, Western/Fremont Cottonwood (Populus fremontii)
The "Cotton" - reproduction of the tree	The leaf of a Western/ Fremont Cottonwood (Populus fremontii)
State Links to "Big Tree Coordinators"	The narrow leaf of Mountain Cottonwood (Populus angustifolia)