There is a broadleaved tree of this region, known to grow from
Labrador to the Gulf of Mexico and clear up to the Bering Strait,
that lifts its green fountain of a crown about as high into the
summer sky as any other deciduous tree in the U.S. The tree I
speak of is the eastern cottonwood, Populus deltoides
(del-TOY-dees). Its beautiful leaves are triangular or
delta-shaped and hence its species name.
Many people will scoff at an aspen or cottonwood and not be
impressed whatsoever. To them they are trash trees or weed
trees, fast growing and short-lived, messy if they grow in your
yard and bound to give you extra work that you don’t need.
You would have been in for an argument with Westerners
especially years ago when practically the only trees on the Great
Plains big enough to provide people, their horses and cattle with
refreshing shade were the towering cottonwoods.
The reason they do well there is that they often endure where
few other trees can. Their roots have a natural tendency to seek
water – including in sewer pipes, which is why so many cities in
the U.S. ban the planting of cottonwood trees today. They belong
in the country away from buildings and wells.
Years ago when American cities were well endowed with graveled
roads, outdoor priveys, and houses having coal-burning furnaces,
it was the cottonwoods, with their shiny, smooth (like Teflon)
leaves, that were capable of shedding the soot and dust that was
forever settling on everything in sight.
Cottonwoods surely are fast-growing trees quite commonly
adding a half-inch of trunk outward annually where growing
conditions are good. An example of the rapid growth of poplars
in general can be found in the advertisements describing some of
the phenomenal new hybrid poplars. You are guaranteed to be
able to grow your own shade and privacy screening in three years,
windbreaks and firewood in four years, pulp timber in eight years
and lumber in less than 20.
While relatively hard the wood of cottonwoods can’t nearly
compete with that of the maples, oaks, or ashes, it does have
some interesting features. Dried properly it is quite white,
sometimes with a faint tint of pink or brown. It is
straight-grained with a fine even texture and is rather light in
weight. A good way to describe it is that it is not strong but
is tough for its weight and does not split or splinter easily.
One of the nicest features of the Populus genus, or
what one could call the poplar tribe, including the eastern
cottonwood, is their flat leafstalks or petioles. These provide
the leaves with delicate swivel action, and the least little
breeze sets them to quaking, or "whispering" in a
gentle swishing manner. If you want to try something quite
amazing on a windy day, locate a young quaking aspen tree with
smooth bark and hold your ear firmly against the bark. The
"talking" of that tree will sound like running water.
You’ll never forget the experience and surely will want to share
it with some of your friends.
One of these days when we’re on our way to Madison we’ll take
a side-trip for about three miles on Hwy. 73 north of Columbus.
There on the western edge of Dodge County on the J. P. Crombie
Farm grows one of the largest trees in circumference in
Wisconsin. It’s an eastern cottonwood that measures slightly
over 26 feet in circumference and rises to about 100 feet.
Pictures indicate that it is a forked tree, but what a giant!
Few things in life excite me more than a record-size tree. As
much as we regret the felling within the past several years of
three of the largest trees in Door County (all cottonwoods), we
do rejoice over the preservation of those remaining gargantuan
cottonwoods. A beauty between 15 and 16 feet around (4 ½ feet
above the ground) grows along Hwy. K west of Hwy. C in southern
Door County, and the huge specimen growing along the west side of
Hwy. 42 at the base of the Ellison Bay hill is, what I can
determine, the largest native tree in the county.
Cottonwoods are frequently found along water courses and are
front runners in the fascinating story of plant succession, from
sandy beach to the climax maple-beech-hemlock forest. They are
truly pioneers paving the way for other trees, higher on the
ladder of success, to follow.
This Gargantuan of our state’s trees is quite a good larder,
especially in its younger stages, for several forms of wildlife.
Ruffed and sharp-tailed grouse relish its winter buds. Deer and
rabbits, more so the varying or snowshoe hares, eat the bark,
leaves, and new twigs. Beavers, particularly in the western part
of their range, consume the wood and bark while porcupines favor
the leaves and tender new twigs. The wildlife undoubtedly do not
delineate between a cottonwood and an aspen. To them a poplar
is a poplar.
Big trees are inspiring and wonderful to know, but of far
greater importance are people who have permanent, on-going,
living interest in their land and trees and who exert great
energy in managing them wisely. Because of their reverence
toward the earth, future generations will also thrill to
record-size cottonwoods.
Smooth, shiny cottonwood leaves, with long thin
leaf stalks, rustle easily in the wind.
This column appeared in the Door County Advocate
on 09/13/2003.
© Copyright 2003 Roy Lukes. All rights reserved.
