Practical
Plants

Populus fremontii

Cottonwood

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Populus genus in the family Salicaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Populus
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
25 m
Fertility
Self sterile, Wind
Flower type
dioecious
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Catkins - raw or cooked[2][8]. Eaten as a snack[10]. The young green seedpods have been chewed as a gum[10]. Inner bark[2]. There are no more details but inner bark is often dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread.

Plant part
Flowers
Product or use
Gum
Plant part
Inner bark

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The inner bark was consumed by various native North American Indian tribes in order to prevent scurvy[11][8]. The bark of most, if not all members of the genus contain salicin, a glycoside that probably decomposes into salicylic acid (aspirin) in the body[7][9]. The bark is therefore anodyne, anti-inflammatory and febrifuge. It is used especially in treating rheumatism and fevers, and also to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps[9]. An infusion of the bark and leaves has been used to wet a cloth which is then tied around the head as a treatment for headaches[10]. The infusion has also been used as a wash on cuts, bruises, wounds and insect stings[10]. A poultice of the boiled bark and leaves has been used to treat swellings caused by muscle strain[10].

Product or use
Anodyne
Product or use
Antiinflammatory
Product or use
Antiscorbutic
Product or use
Febrifuge

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Strips of the inner bark have been used in garments[8]. This report does not make clear if this was merely for ornament, or whether the bark had a functional use[K]. An extract of the shoots can be used as a rooting hormone for all types of cuttings. It is extracted by soaking the chopped up shoots in cold water for a day[5]. The young twigs are peeled and split then used in basket making[11][8][10]. Wood - soft, weak, light, rather woolly in texture, without smell or taste, of low flammability, not durable, very resistant to abrasion[3][8]. Used locally for fence posts, the trees are also frequently pollarded for fuel[14][8].

Product or use
Basketry
Product or use
Fuel
Product or use
Rooting hormone
Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Environment

Range
South-western N. America - California to Texas.
Habitat
Banks of streams and other moist places[12][14].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - must be sown as soon as it is ripe in spring[4]. Poplar seed has an extremely short period of viability and needs to be sown within a few days of ripening[6]. Surface sow or just lightly cover the seed in trays in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the old frame. If sufficient growth is made, it might be possible to plant them out in late summer into their permanent positions, otherwise keep them in the cold frame until the following late spring and then plant them out. Most poplar species hybridize freely with each other, so the seed may not come true unless it is collected from the wild in areas with no other poplar species growing[3]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, 20 - 40cm long, November/December in a sheltered outdoor bed or direct into their permanent positions. Very easy. Suckers in early spring[13].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An easily grown plant, it does well in a heavy cold damp soil[1]. Prefers a deep rich well-drained circumneutral soil, growing best in the south and east of Britain[3][6]. Tolerates extremely alkaline soils[6]. Growth is much less on wet soils, on poor acid soils and on thin dry soils[3]. It does not do well in exposed upland sites[3]. It dislikes shade and is intolerant of root or branch competition[6]. A fast-growing but short-lived species[8]. Some forms of this species are tender in Britain[3]. Poplars have very extensive and aggressive root systems that can invade and damage drainage systems. Especially when grown on clay soils, they should not be planted within 12 metres of buildings since the root system can damage the building's foundations by drying out the soil[3]. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[6].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-87857-090-x

    ↩1↩2

  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  4. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

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  5. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

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  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  7. Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6

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  8. Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  9. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2

  10. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  11. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

  12. Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00

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  13. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

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  14. Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20278-X

    ↩1↩2

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