FIELD ID CHARACTERISTICS:
Large papery leaves have rounded leaf petioles. Bark is deeply furrowed in larger trees. When present, white "cotton" is an obvious sign of a cottonwood.
Synonym(s): Populus argentea
Description: Straight tree with large, elongated heart-shaped leaves and furrowed bark. While large trees are not common, this species can reach 30 m.
Leaves: Large (15 cm), generally elongated heart-shaped leaves with rounded tips and crenate or serrated margins. Leaves pale green below.
Flowers/Fruit: Large catkin-type flowers appear before leaves in spring. Fruits are large green capsules which turn brown and split when mature, releasing seeds attached to copious downy white fibers blown on the wind. Flowers and fruits March and April.
Habit and Range: Brownwater and blackwater swamps, including wet bottomlands and around forested pools and depressions. Found more commonly in the Coastal Plain; rare in the Piedmont.
COMMON CONFUSIONS:
Leaves of Populus heterophylla (swamp cottonwood) have rounded leaf petioles, unlike the similar Populus deltoides (Eastern cottonwood), which has flattened petioles and strongly triangular leaves with pointed tips.
Link to side-by-side comparisons page
