| This month, Seattle's largest cottonwood tree blew down. It was a landmark specimen at Madrona Park. |
| The second edition of my book Trees of Seattle includes it, with measurements of 146 feet tall, its trunk 22 feet 9 inches around (over 7 feet thick). That would have dated around 2004 or 2005. The tree grew taller (in June of 2015, it was 152.5 feet), stouter and wider when it crashed down. |
| Cottonwood trees and their poplar and aspen kindred are either male (shedding pollen from catkins in March-April), or female (making tiny cottony seeds that float around). Males tend to attain larger size. |
| Cottonwoods are noted for growing rapidly. Most are found in moist sites, such as near lakes, because their seeds have short viability, so must land and grow quickly --or die. But if you raise a seedling, you can plant it in a drier site and the tree will grow there. However, the more moisture it gets, the faster it grows. |
| All cottonwood trees turn glorious heartwarming golden in fall --usually in November in Seattle. That is when it is easy to admire them. |
| Female specimens releasing messy cotton in May, are a nuisance. And large old trees dropping heavy limbs, pose a danger. The root system can buckle paving and invade pipes readily. And most cottonwoods are short-lived. So, their usage as planted landscape trees is almost nonexistent. |
| A Boren Park cottonwood, dating from around 1960, and also a male, has a different height on each of its four forks; the tallest is 161 feet currently --the tallest deciduous tree of any kind in Seattle. |
At Montlake Playfield, near the SR 520 ramps, are dozens of cottonwoods that started growing around 1970. The tallest towers more than 153 feet currently. It is difficult to measure because the trees are crowded together.
Back |
fallen Madrona Park Cottonwood; photo by ALJ
|
4-trunked Boren Park Cottonwood; photo by ALJ
|
Montlake Playfield Cottonwoods; photo by ALJ
|
seedling Cottonwood; photo by ALJ
|
male Cottonwood catkins opening; photo by ALJ
|
female Cottonwood seeds in May; photo by ALJ
|
