COMMON NAME:  Narrowleaf Cottonwood, Willowleaf Cottonwood

DESCRIPTION:  Narrowleaf Cottonwood will reach a height and width of 50 feet.  Its leaves look like that of a willow instead of having the classic deltoid leaf of most other poplars and cottonwoods.  One of the best ways to distinguish this tree from willows is that it does produce cotton and will have the white furrowed bark at the base of older trees.

NATIVE RANGE:  Native to waterways of much of the Rocky Mountains.  Its range is centered in Utah and Colorado.

CULTURE:  Like other poplars this one loves water.  It is very fast growing and has the same problems as other cottonwoods.  It is weak wooded and sheds its cotton everywhere.
 
INSECT AND DISEASE:  It is also susceptible to several cankers and borers.  When pruned correctly and in a healthy state the tree is a beautiful tree.

LANDSCAPE VALUE:  Narrowleaf Cottonwood is another tree that should be used with much control in the landscape.  It may have limited use in parks and golf courses, but it is too big for use in the average home landscape.