![]() The Narrowleaf is an important food source for beavers inhabiting the Rocky Mountains and serves as a habitat for trout. The Narrowleaf cottonwood tree is able to grow in sand bars next to streams and other water sources. ![]() During fall, the green leaves of aspen trees transform into shades of red, orange, and yellow. The aspen is the most widely spread tree in North America and one of the few deciduous trees able to thrive in a mountainous environment, which is often very harsh. There are two species of Populus found in the Rocky Mountains, including Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) and the Narrowleaf cottonwood (Populus angustifolia). Cottonwood tree wood was often used to build dwellings and carve out canoes, while the bark of these trees was forage for horses.Ĭottonwood trees tend to have long leaf stems and rounded edges that are either serrated or smooth. It is a very tall tree that produces masses of cotton and has earned its place in history by providing food for the livestock of the early American pioneers. The cottonwood tree is also referred to as the cottonwood poplar tree, as it belongs to the poplar genus. x euramericana hybrids.Īll cottonwoods fall within the willow tree family (Salicaceae). The 3 main species of cottonwood or poplar trees are Eastern cottonwood, Fremont’s cottonwood, and the Black poplar (Black cottonwood).įrom these 3 species, hybrid poplars have also been created (mainly with the parent species being cottonwood and Black cottonwood). The stalks of the cottonwood tree leaves are longer than that of the Narrowleaf cottonwood and contain two glands at the top side. Cottonwood tree leaves can grow up to 7 inches long and are bright green on top with a paler shade at the bottom. ![]() In contrast to the Narrowleaf cottonwood tree leaf, the Cottonwood tree leaf is wider, 16 with a triangular, almost heart-shaped base. The leaf stalks are often a faded red and grow up to 1-inch long. They are narrow, and willow-like, with a short petiole, turning pale yellow in the fall. 17 Today, the tree’s leaves are described as being slender, with toothed edges, a pale underside, and a yellowish or dark green top side. The Lewis and Clark expedition also described the Narrowleaf cottonwood’s leaves as being similar to that of the wild cherry leaf. A description written by Meriwether Lewis stated that the Narrowleaf cottonwood tree’s only differentiating factor was the shape of its leaves and the thickness and strength of its bark. In 1805, the Lewis and Clark expedition encountered the Narrowleaf cottonwood and saw that horses avoided eating the leaves. Narrowleaf Cottonwood Identification: Narrowleaf Cottonwood Leaf The Narrowleaf Cottonwood tree can also be found far north into Canada where it braves below zero temperatures.
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