Carried by 17 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora
Black Cottonwood (Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa) is a native tree that grows in northern, southern and central California. It is fast growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 100 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the mid spring. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in alluvial bottomplands and streamsides, at elevations from 0-9000 feet. Tough and easy to grow as long as it is in sun, near a water sources and has very good drainage. Black Cottonwood is a great choice to help build a natural irrigation system - its long shallow roots will reach out to the water source and pull underground water molecules through your garden. It needs moist soil until mature, and then becomes moderately drought tolerant.
Tree
30 - 100 ft Tall
25 - 30 ft Wide
Upright, Upright Columnar
Fast
Winter Deciduous
Green, Yellow
Winter, Spring
Full Sun
High, Moderate
Max 1x / month once established
Easy
Fast
Well draining.
For propagating by seed: No treatment. Use fresh seeds, usually viable only a few days. Seeds should not be covered or pressed into medium; seedbed should be kept saturated for first mo. Easily propagated from stem cuttings.
1, 2*, 3*, 4*, 5*, 6*, 7*, 8, 9, 14, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24*
Alluvial bottomplands, streamsides
Chaparral, Foothill Woodland, Lodgepole Forest, Red Fir Forest, Subalpine Forest, Valley Grassland, Yellow Pine Forest, Wetland-Riparian
Golden Currant (Ribes aureum), Western Columbine (Aquilegia formosa), Creek Dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp sericea), White Alder (Alnus rhombifolia)
Butterflies and moths supported
3 confirmed and 144 likely
Western Tent Caterpillar
Malacosoma californica
Lappet Moth
Phyllodesma americana
Pearsall's Carpet Moth
Venusia pearsalli
Climbing Cutworm
Abagrotis orbis