Eastern Cottonwood Populus deltoides Hotchkiss    
Kingdom Plantae   >   Division Tracheophyta   >   Class Magnoliopsida   >   Order Salicales   >   Family Salicaceae   >   Genus Populus   

Status:

"Southwestern Quebec to Manitoba, south to western New England and southward in United States" (Reed, 1964).

Description:

Gets the name "cottonwood" from the cottony seeds. Leaves are broadly deltoid, with bases that are straight across to subcordate, with 2-3 basal glands. Petiole is flattened laterally.

Where to find:

Riverbanks and bottomlands. Common in the Potomac River drainage system (Brown and Brown, 1972).

Relationships:

Host plant for various moth species including Cottonwood Twig Borer Moth, American Dagger Moth, and Common Gluphisia Moth (Database of World's Lepidopteran Host Plants, Miller et al., 2018, Gilligan, Wright, & Gibson, 2008).

There are 129 records in the project database.

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Eastern Cottonwood in Washington Co., Maryland (3/5/2017). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

An Eastern Cottonwood in Wicomico Co., Maryland (12/28/2013). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

The buds of an Eastern Cottonwood in Wicomico Co., Maryland (12/28/2013). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

Eastern Cottonwood in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/15/2011). Staminate flowers in bloom. Photo by Bill Harms. (MBP list)

Eastern Cottonwood in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/15/2011). Pistillate flowers in bloom Photo by Bill Harms. (MBP list)

The bud of an Eastern Cottonwood in Wicomico Co., Maryland (12/28/2013). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

Eastern Cottonwood (flowers) in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/12/2018). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Eastern Cottonwood in fruit in Queen Anne's Co., Maryland (5/7/2019). Photo by Matthew Beziat. (MBP list)

Eastern Cottonwood in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (6/28/2018). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

A large Eastern Cottonwood on Assateague Island, Worcester Co., Maryland (2/20/2016). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Eastern Cottonwood, leaf and bark, in Montgomery Co., Maryland (3/24/2016). Photo by Jane Hill. (MBP list)

Eastern Cottonwood in Washington Co., Maryland (2/25/2017). Photo by Bill Hill. (MBP list)

A large Eastern Cottonwood in Washington Co., Maryland (3/5/2017). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Eastern Cottonwood in Baltimore City, Maryland (8/1/2018). Photo by Kirsten Johnson. (MBP list)


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