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Balsam Poplar (Cottonwood)

Populus balsamifera

Deciduous Tree

Height

30 - 50 (feet)

Spread

10 - 20 (feet)

Distinctions

Rapidly growing tree; tolerates wet soil; a tree of Alaska's interior forests and river valleys; similar to black cottonwood; leaves are shiny green above and pale to green below; seed capsules are pointed and break into two parts.

Limitations

Messy, drops twigs; cottony seeds on females; spreads by root suckers; weak wooded, susceptible to breakage.

Hardiness

INT, N, SC, SE, W (Zone 1)

Origin

Northern United States and Canada

Balsam Poplar (Cottonwood)