How to Grow and Care for Eastern cottonwood

Eastern cottonwood is a towering deciduous tree reaching heights of 75 to 100 feet (23 to 30 meters), and potentially up to 200 feet (61 meters), with a broad vase-like silhouette upon maturity. Recognizable by its smooth, glossy, light to medium green triangular leaves, typically 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15.2 cm) long and up to 4 inches (10 cm) wide, this tree is adorned with coarse teeth along the margins. Its twigs are a distinctive yellow-green, and it bears elongated catkins. The bark, smooth and greenish-gray in youth, transforms into a brown or ashy gray with deep furrows over time. In spring, 2 to 4.5-inch (5 to 11.4 cm) catkins flourish, with male and female flowers distinguishable by red stamens and yellow stigmas. Subsequently, egg-shaped fruit capsules release seeds with fluffy white hairs, facilitating wind dispersal.