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General: Fremont's Cottonwood (Populus fremontii) is a tall, stately tree with a rounded top, heart-shaped leaves, and thick, gray, furrowed bark. The leaf petiole (leaf stem) is laterally flattened (shaped like a knife blade) rather than round, causing the leaves to flutter in a breeze.
Fremont's Cottonwood is found along washes, rivers, and other wet areas in the Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub and Pinyon-Juniper Woodland) life zone.
Around Las Vegas, look for Fremont's Cottonwood trees around springs and along streams. Good places to see this species include Corn Creek at Desert National Wildlife Refuge, Wheeler Camp Spring at Red Rock Canyon, and at several of the remote springs in Gold Butte National Monument. |
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Family: Willow (Salicaceae).
Other Names:
Plant Form: Tall, stately tree with flat to rounded top.
Height: 40 ft (to 90 ft).
Trunk: Tall, stout, with deeply furrowed, gray bark.
Leaves: Heart shaped, glossy green. Produce "fall color" at the end of summer. |
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Flowers: Catkins. Separate male and female trees.
Seeds: Small seeds tufted with cottony hairs that ride on the wind.
Distribution: Washes, river corridors, springs from west Texas to California.
Elevation: To about 6,000 feet.
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