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Fremont Cottonwood
( Populus fremontii )
Populus fremontii
More Photos at CalPhotos
More Info at Jepson eFlora
Calflora
Click on blue squares to see occurrence records.
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46 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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About Fremont Cottonwood (Populus fremontii)
46 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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The Fremont Cottonwood (
Populus fremontii
) grows in riparian areas near streams, rivers, and wetlands in the southwestern part of the United States and downwards into Mexico.
This large tree can develop a trunk over 8 feet in diameter. The bark is smooth when young, becoming deeply fissured with whitish cracked bark on old trees.
Flower cluster consists of a long drooping catkin, which blooms from March to April. The fruit is a wind-dispersed achene, that appears to look like patches of cotton hanging from limbs, thus the name cottonwood. Often only the male plants are sold.
The leaves are heart-shaped, with white veins. It's an important plant for birds and butterflies.
Fremont Cottonwoods require moist soil and plenty of sun but are tough and easy to grow. When properly situated and with access to plenty of water, they can grow quite large quickly --- so, not a great choice for small gardens.
Best to plant these trees by creeks, in seeps, or in areas with plenty of natural water. Unless planted by a lawn that gets daily water, they require more water than you're likely to want to give them through artificial irrigation. They can handle occasional flooding without a problem. The leaves are beautiful and create a spectacular effect when they shimmer in the wind.
This plant is tough, easy to grow, and pretty much foolproof as long as it gets enough water.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Tree
Size
39.4 - 114.8 ft tall
35 ft wide
Form
Upright Columnar
Growth Rate
Fast
Dormancy
Winter Deciduous
Fragrance
None
Flower Color
White, Cream
Flowering Season
Spring, Winter
Wildlife Supported
Insects (especially butterflies) and birds
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 5
confirmed
, 134
likely
* )
SHOW ALL
Viceroy
Limenitis archippus
Limenitis archippus
Western Poplar Sphinx Moth
Pachysphinx occidentalis
Pachysphinx occidentalis
Cottonwood Crown Borer
Sesia tibialis
Sesia tibialis
Western Tent Caterpillar
Malacosoma californica
Malacosoma californica
Gelechia versutella
Gelechia versutella
*
Western Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio rutulus
Papilio rutulus
*
Mourning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa
Nymphalis antiopa
Landscaping Information
Sun
Full Sun
Moisture
Moderate - High
Summer Irrigation
Keep moist
Nurseries
Carried by 46
Ease of Care
Very Easy
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 5° F
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow
Soil Description
Accepts either sandy or clay soil as long as there is sufficient water. Tolerates Saline Soil. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0
Common uses
Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens
Companion Plants
Moisture-loving plants such as
Yellow Monkeyflower
(
Mimulus guttatus
),
Yerba Mansa
(
Anemopsis californica
), Wild
Rose
(
Rosa californica
), and
Hedge Nettle
(
Stachys bullata
).
Maintenance
Subject to truck and branch canker if drought stressed
Propagation
?
Easily propagated from stem cuttings. For propagating by seed: No treatment. Use fresh seeds, usually viable only a few days. Seeds should not be covered or pressed into medium; seedbed should be kept saturated for first month.
Natural Setting
Site Type
Almost always found in riparian or other wetland habitats such as alluvial bottom lands, streamsides, and seeps throughout the state, up to 6500 feet. Usually grows adjacent to chaparral, valley grassland, or any of several types of woodland vegetation communities. In desert riparian areas, it occurs adjacent to creosote bush scrub or desert transition chaparral.
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 2.5" - 75.8", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 2.54", Coldest Month: 29.9" - 62.1", Hottest Month: 58.4" - 89.5", Humidity: 0.46" - 47.01", Elevation: -190" - 7224"
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Fremont Cottonwood
Populus fremontii
Sources include:
Wikipedia
. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the
California Consortia of Herbaria
, Sunset information provided by
Jepson Flora Project
. Propogation from seed information provided by the
Santa Barbara Botanical Garden
from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include
CalPhotos
,
Wikimedia Commons
, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include
Calflora
,
CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online
,
Jepson Flora Project
,
Las Pilitas
,
Theodore Payne
,
Tree of Life
,
The Xerces Society
, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from
PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University
, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.
Links:
Jepson eFlora Taxon Page
CalPhotos
Wikipedia
Calflora
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