Wyoming State Tree

Wyoming State Tree

Plains Cottonwood 

Salicaceae Populus deltoides wyoming plains cottonwood tree
 
Leaf
 
Alternate, simple, pinnately veined, 3 to 6 inches long, triangular (deltoid) in shape with a crenate/serrate margin. The petiole is flattened and glands are present at the top of the petiole.

Flower

Dioecious, male and female as pendulous catkins, appearing before the
leaves.

Fruit

Cottony seeds, 1/4 inch long borne in a dehiscent capsule. Maturing
over summer.

Twig

Stout, somewhat angled, and yellowish. Buds are 3/4 inch long, covered
with several brown, resinous scales. Has a bitter aspirin taste.

Bark

Smooth, gray to yellow-green when young. Later turning gray with thick ridges and deep furrows.

Form

A large tree with a clear bole and an open spreading crown resulting
in a somewhat vase-shaped form.

wyoming plains cottonwood tree (1)
Bark
Copyright 2019 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental
Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen,
Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag
Handbook 654; range map source information