…November: fabulous shapes and shadows…

       Featured Plant of the Month: Plains Cottonwood, Populus sargentii

• Garden Locations: Deciduous Woodland, Wetlands, Amphitheater, Water Garden

• Distinguishing Features: The fall appeal of the Plains Cottonwood tree is its thick, gray, and deeply furrowed bark, which is found only on older trees (in contrast, the bark on young trees is yellow-green, smooth, and thin). The buds on Plains Cottonwood trees are also remarkable during autumn, measuring 5/8-1” long and visible even from a distance. Its 3-5” leaves are golden yellow in the fall, appearing triangle-shaped with serrated edges. Its leaf stalks are flat, allowing the leaves to rustle together in the wind and creating a distinctive “whisper” sound. The tree is named for the fluffy white “cotton” that 20-25 year old female trees produce to disperse their seeds in the spring.

• Growth and Maintenance: Plains Cottonwood is the largest tree growing at The Hudson Gardens, and is also one of the largest deciduous trees native to Colorado. It grows only on the eastern side of the Continental Divide, and is relatively short-lived, with a life span of 80-100 years. This majestic tree can reach heights of 60-80’, with an irregularly-shaped canopy spreading up to 60’. Typically growing native along streambeds, Plains Cottonwood prefers partial sun and generous amounts of water but grows in dry soil as well.

• Fun fact: Cottonwood trees were essential to Lewis and Clark and they explored the uncharted West in the early 1800s. They followed these trees because they only grow along rivers and streambeds and their presence indicates underground water.

Cranberry Cotoneaster
Cotoneaster apiculatus
Oval Garden, Cascades, Garden Canopy, Hudson Residence

Cockspur Hawthorn
Crataegus crusgalli
Welcome Garden, Water Garden, Deciduous Woodland

Redleaf Rose
Rosa glauca
Upper Pond

Washington Hawthorn
Crataegus phaenopyrum
Welcome Garden, Water Garden

All photos by The Hudson Foundation