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Scientific Name:
Populus deltoides
Pronunciation:
pop-YOU-lus del-TOY-deez
Common Name:
plains cottonwood, necklace poplar
Family Name:
Salicaceae
Plant Type:
Tree - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate, blades mostly 7-12cm long and about as wide, broadly triangular shaped, wavy margins, underside slightly a lighter green and glabrous, petioles 5-9cm long; capsules on female trees release "cotton" covered seed in spring. Winter ID: buds about 1.5cm long, lanceolate, green and brown, sweetly aromatic when crushed; leaf scar oval.

Habit:
Stiffly upright
Form:
Oval - vertical, Round, Vase
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
> 30m
Mature Spread:
10 - 15m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
North America
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 2: (-46 to -40 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate, Low
Landscape Uses:
Reclamation, Wind break
Additional Info:

Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Leathery
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Lustrous
Colour in Fall:
Yellow
Shapes:
Lanceolate, Ovate
Apices:
Acuminate, Acute
Bases:
Cordate, Obtuse, Truncate
Margins:
Crenate, Dentate, Serrate

Inflorescence Type:
Catkin (ament)
Flower Morphology:
Dioecious plant
Number Of Petals:
0
Colour (petals):
Not showy, Green
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Mar, Apr

Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
White, Brown
Fruiting Time:
May, Jun
Additional Info:
Not showy

Bark Morphology:
Moderately fissured, Single stem trunk
Bark or Stem Colour:
Grey
Leaf Bud Type:
(Distinctive smell)
Organ Modifications:
Ectomycorrhizae
Propagation:
Seed, Division - below ground parts
Pest Susceptibility:
Canker or sap rot, Caterpillar or cutworm, Crown rot, Dieback, Leaf miner insect, Root rot, Rust, Scale insects (Drought tolerant)

Course(s):
  • not used (on campus)
Location(s):
  • (BHW)  Boulevard by Hwy. 10 Westend
  • (FSC)  Far South Campus
Location Map