Kansas State Tree – Eastern Cottonwood – Populus deltoides
Eastern Cottonwood Salicaceae Populus deltoides
Leaf: Alternate, simple, pinnately veined, 3 to 6 inches long, triangular (deltoid)
in shape with a crenate/serrate margin. The petiole is flattened and glands
are present at the top of the petiole.
Leaf: Alternate, simple, pinnately veined, 3 to 6 inches long, triangular (deltoid)
in shape with a crenate/serrate margin. The petiole is flattened and glands
are present at the top of the petiole.
Flower: Dioecious, male and female as pendulous catkins, appearing before the
leaves.
Fruit: Cottony seeds, 1/4 inch long borne in a dehiscent capsule. Maturing
over summer.
Twig: Stout, somewhat angled and yellowish. Buds are 3/4 inch long, covered
with several brown, resinous scales. Has a bitter aspirin taste.
Bark: Smooth, gray to yellow-green when young. Later turning gray with thick
ridges and deep furrows.
Form: A large tree with a clear bole and an open spreading crown resulting
in a somewhat vase-shaped form.
Copyright 2019 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental
Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen,
Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson;Silvics reprinted from Ag
Handbook 654; range map source information
Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen,
Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson;Silvics reprinted from Ag
Handbook 654; range map source information