Narrowleaf Cottonwood

Populus angustifolia (Salicaceae) is a deciduous tree native to the mountains and stream corridors of western North America. It grows 50 to 70 feet tall with a narrow, upright crown and slender, willow-like leaves (narrower than other cottonwoods). The bark is smooth and greenish on young trees, becoming gray and furrowed with age.

Narrowleaf cottonwood is a riparian species that colonizes stream banks and moist mountain valleys at moderate to high elevations. It grows rapidly in full sun with ample moisture. Like all cottonwoods, female trees produce abundant cotton-like seed floss. Hardy in Zones 3a to 8b.