North Carolina Wildflowers, Shrubs, & Trees

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages


Salicaceae > Populus (poplar, cottonwood)

Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Sandy Creek bottomland, Durham Co., NC
31 Oct 2009

Fairly common in the eastern half of NC, Eastern Cottonwood grows in bottomlands and along non-blackwater rivers & creeks.

Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Sandy Creek bottomland, Durham Co., NC
31 Oct 2009

Leaves are fairly triangular.

Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Sandy Creek bottomland, Durham Co., NC
31 Oct 2009

Petioles are extremely flattened, which results in the leaves quivering at the slightest breeze.

Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Sandy Creek bottomland, Durham Co., NC
31 Oct 2009

Buds are shiny and pointed. Twigs are angular with visible lenticels.

Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Sandy Creek bottomland, Durham Co., NC
31 Oct 2009

Bark on older trees is gray with deep furrows and prominent ridges.

Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Sandy Creek bottomland, Durham Co., NC
31 Oct 2009

Top of a 50 foot tall tree.


Quaking Aspen, Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides) Quaking Aspen, Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
Missoula Co., MT
11 May 2010

Very widespread in northern North America, Quaking Aspen is very rare in the mountains of North Carolina.

Quaking Aspen, Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides) Quaking Aspen, Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
Missoula Co., MT
11 May 2010

Leaves are finely and dully toothed. Flattened petioles cause leaves to "quake" in even the slightest breeze.

Quaking Aspen, Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides) Quaking Aspen, Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
St. Clair Co., MI
7 July 2012

Quaking Aspen, Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides) Quaking Aspen, Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
St. Clair Co., MI
7 July 2012

Bark of young tree.

Quaking Aspen, Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides) Quaking Aspen, Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
Missoula Co., MT
11 May 2010

Even on older trees, bark is fairly smooth and a very pale cream with a greenish tint.



Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; Alan Weakley's Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Supplemental resources include USDA plants website, and NatureServe.


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Created on ... Nov 22, 2009 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com