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Post 60
Eastern Cottonwood

Populus deltoides

Location

N39º28.918'
W088º24.802'

Date Planted

Volunteer that descended from old Cottonwood Tree
that grew on the east lawn of Riddle Elementary School
Trimmed to a tree 6-2012.


This tree was descended from an old Cottonwood Tree that blew down in a storm and is no longer standing at Riddle Elementary School.


Picture

Picture
Tree located at
Douglas-Hart Nature Center

Mattoon, Illinois

Tree Description

Very tall tree with large trunk 3 to 4 feet in diameter, and many stout branches;  crown open, spreading.  When growing in the open, often forks near the base into 2 to 6 trunks;  grows to a height of 100 feet.

Habitat

Prefers moist soils;  often found near streams, often in pure stands or with willows. 

Range

Eastern U.S. above Florida and below Vermont, in the foothills of the Rockies, and from southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

Leaf Description

Simple, deciduous;  alternate;  long, triangular, with flat base and long pointed tip;  3 to 7 inches long and 3 to 5 inches wide with curved, coarse teeth;  thick and coarsely veined;  bright green above, paler beneath, with yellow midrib.
Picture
Picture

Bark Description

Ashy gray;  furrowed or ridged on mature trees, smooth and greenish yellow on young trees (and new branches).
Picture

Fruit Description

Small, green, flask-shaped, elliptical capsules, 0.375 inches long, hang from branches in long, narrow clusters up to 8 inches long and, when mature in spring, divide and split open to release many tiny, dark brown seeds, each attached to a tuft of cottony hairs.
Picture
Picture

Riddle Trees ~ In Support of Outdoor Education ~ 2019