American Elm
Ulmus americana Large tree Zones 2–9 60–80 ft
Shares stream banks, floodplain forests, swamps and wet flats in the wild.
A native we do not grow
Eastern Cottonwood
Populus deltoides. Large tree, 50 to 100 feet, zones 2 to 9; full sun; dry, average or wet ground.
We do not grow eastern 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 | Necklace poplar, eastern poplar, southern cottonwood, common cottonwood |
|---|---|
| Form | Large tree |
| Height, feet | 50 to 100 |
| Spread, feet | Up to 75 |
| Zones | 2 to 9 |
| Sun | Full sun |
| Soil moisture | Dry, average or wet ground |
| Growth | Fast |
| Leaves | Deciduous |
| Traits | Wildlife value, salt tolerant, erosion control |
| Flowers | February to May |
| Fruit | Capsules, May to August |
| First crop | 5 to 10 years |
| Pollination | Separate male and female trees. Male and female flowers grow on separate trees, so a female tree bears seed only with a male nearby. |
| Lifespan | Lives up to 200 years, and the oldest dated one reached 116. Only a tiny share of trees has ever been ring-counted or cross-dated. |
| Transplanting | The Morton Arboretum's page on eastern cottonwood says: "Eastern cottonwoods transplant easily, prefer wet soils in full sun, and is adaptable to various soil pH." |
| Planting season | Spring. Its sources speak of planting cuttings, and Silvics of the short planting season in the North. |
| Black walnut | Not named on the Morton Arboretum's lists |
| Ground | Stream banks, floodplain forests, swamps and wet flats |
| Native in | 43 states and the District of Columbia |
Eastern cottonwood is native in 43 states and the District of Columbia: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the District of Columbia. The states are the USDA PLANTS Database's records, with the native range read from Silvics of North America and NatureServe Explorer.
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 eastern cottonwood's natural communities in the wild, by the companion species tool's rules.
Pin Oak
Quercus palustris Large tree Zones 4–8 50–70 ft
Shares stream banks, floodplain forests, swamps and wet flats in the wild.
Willow Oak
Quercus phellos Large tree Zones 5–9 40–75 ft
Shares stream banks, floodplain forests, swamps and wet flats in the wild.
Swamp Cottonwood
Populus heterophylla Large tree Zones 6–9 70–90 ft
Shares stream banks, floodplain forests, swamps and wet flats in the wild.
Balsam Poplar
Populus balsamifera Large tree Zones 2–5 30–100 ft
Shares stream banks, floodplain forests, swamps and wet flats in the wild.
Swamp Tupelo
Nyssa biflora Large tree Zones 6–9 60–80 ft
Shares stream banks, floodplain forests, swamps and wet flats in the wild.
Read from
Its figures come from Silvics of North America, NC State Extension, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Morton Arboretum, the Wildflower Center, the Forest Service's Fire Effects Information System, the Woody Plant Seed Manual, Iowa State University Extension, the USDA PLANTS Database, the US Forest Service and the Eastern Native Tree Society.