Black cottonwood resin has disinfectant properties and has been used by Coast Salish people for sore throats and coughs as well as being applied directly to wounds to prevent infection. Ethnobotany Inner bark & cambium were eaten Buds used medicinally Habitat Value Nesting habitat for eagles & osprey, which are large birds of prey Sponsors City of Bellingham Washington State Department of Ecology Black Cottonwood. Black Cottonwood. US Forest Service, FM-RM-VE Black cottonwood is a Pacific Northwest native deciduous tree which can eventually grow to a height of 150’ with a width of 40’. Black cottonwood leaf buds and stems protected by resins which allow for early leaf growth; the resins are also medicine for people (Populus balsamifera ssp. The base of the leaves can be either wedge or heart shaped. The wood is also used for fuel. trichocarpa (Torr. Cottonwood is a well-known, common tree along rivers and streams throughout the West.Cultivation of hybrid poplars (Populus trichocarpa x. P. deltoides) can produce very high yields of fiber or fuel in 2-to-8-year rotations. Leaves: leathery/waxy dark green upper surface, with a lighter green underside. Hitchcock and Cronquist describe 38 species in Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Black Cottonwood contains a large amount of rooting hormone, just like willows, so it is useful for plant propagation. Ethnobotanical Application(s): Throughout history, black cottonwood has been valued as a commercially important tree. This plant has no children Legal Status. Names: Black Cottonwood is also known as Balsam Poplar. It is known as a good light Black cottonwood series NVCS (2009) Populus balsamifera ssp. Black Cottonwood is the largest hardwood tree in western North America. 11. Notable feature: The winter buds are yellow-brown and very pointed. HEILMAN,P., AND D. V. PEABODY. Both Cottonwood Trees and Willow Trees produce their own rooting hormone, called auxin. Traditional Uses of Cottonwood While most herbalists are using cottonwood buds to relieve inflammation, pain, and as an antimicrobial, there are many additional … Color/Appearance: Often completely black, with little or no discernible grain. Black cottonwoods. sow bear looks out of her winter hibernation hole high up in a broken off cottonwood tree and watches a raven that is squawking nearby. The Spanish name for cottonwoods is “álamo,” leading the conclusion that the proper Spanish name for this tree is “álamo negro.” This name has lent itself to some famous places in America, such as the Alamo in San Antonio, site of a famous battle for Texan independence, as well as Los Alamos, New Mexico, site of American nuclear laboratories. Populus L. – cottonwood Species: Populus balsamifera L. – balsam poplar Subordinate Taxa ... black cottonwood Legal Status. 1400 Independence Ave., SW balsamifera. Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM), Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/blackcottonwood.html, https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_pobat.pdf, http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Populus%20trichocarpa. & Gray ex Hook.) It grows in my backyard along the Raging River and throughout the Snoqualmie Valley. Mailstop Code: 1103 Black cottonwood’s have a high nitrate uptake making them useful tools for buffering agricultural areas. Black Cottonwood contains a large amount of rooting hormone, just like willows, so it is useful for plant propagation. Threatened and Endangered Information: This plant is listed by the U.S. federal government or a state. Black Cottonwood make millions of seeds, usually in the last week of May and the seeds are dispersed on the winds- casting themselves as far from the mother tree as possible. 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