American Elm
Ulmus americana Large tree Zones 2–9 60–80 ft
Shares floodplain forests and stream banks in the wild.
A native we do not grow
Black Cottonwood
Populus trichocarpa. Large tree, 80 to 150 feet where planted, zones 4 to 9; full sun; dry, average or wet ground.
We do not grow black cottonwood, and it is not in our shop. This page gathers what our tools say about it and the natives we grow for the same ground.
At a glance
| Other names | Balsam cottonwood, western balsam poplar, California poplar |
|---|---|
| Form | Large tree |
| Height, feet | 80 to 150 where planted; the tallest over 200 in its native stands |
| Spread, feet | Up to 30 |
| Zones | 4 to 9 |
| Sun | Full sun |
| Soil moisture | Dry, average or wet ground |
| Growth | Fast |
| Leaves | Deciduous |
| Traits | Wildlife value, hedge or screen, erosion control |
| Flowers | March to June |
| Fruit | Capsules, May to July |
| First crop | 7 to 10 years |
| Pollination | Separate male and female trees. Black cottonwoods are male or female trees, so a female bears seed only with a male nearby. |
| Lifespan | Can live 200 years or more. |
| Planting season | Spring. Silvics plants cuttings in spring, and the NRCS plant guide sets seedlings out in late summer or the following spring. |
| Black walnut | Not named on the Morton Arboretum's lists |
| Ground | Floodplain forests and stream banks |
| Native in | 10 states |
Black cottonwood is native in 10 states: Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. The states are the USDA PLANTS Database's records, with the native range read from Silvics of North America and the Fire Effects Information System.
What our tools say
How fast it grows and how big it gets, by site Whether it suits your zone, sun and soil How far from a house, wires and a septic field What grows with it in the wild and in a yard When to plant it where you live When it flowers and fruits, month by month How to sow its seed, with dates for your place How many to plant for a crop of seed Whether one you have can be moved, and what the move takes How old one is, from its trunk How a big one scores against the champion trees
For the same ground, we grow
These trees we grow share the most of black cottonwood's natural communities in the wild, by the companion species tool's rules.
Common Hackberry
Celtis occidentalis Large tree Zones 2–9 40–60 ft
Shares floodplain forests and stream banks in the wild.
Balsam Poplar
Populus balsamifera Large tree Zones 2–5 30–100 ft
Shares floodplain forests and stream banks in the wild.
Slippery Elm
Ulmus rubra Medium tree Zones 3–9 40–70 ft
Shares floodplain forests and stream banks in the wild.
Peachleaf Willow
Salix amygdaloides Medium tree Zones 2–8 35–60 ft
Shares floodplain forests and stream banks in the wild.
Read from
Its figures come from Silvics of North America, the Forest Service's Fire Effects Information System, the Woody Plant Seed Manual, the USDA PLANTS Database, Oregon State University's Landscape Plants, Cal Poly's SelecTree, the Wildflower Center and Calscape.