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Populus deltoides.jpg  Populus deltoides, Eastern Cottonwood.png        Populus angulata1.jpg

 

NAME: Cottonwood Poplar

SPECIES / FAMILY:  Populus Deltoides /  Salicaceae

OTHER COMMON NAME(S):  Eastern Cottonwood, Plains Cottonwood, Rio Grande cottonwood, Necklace Poplar

CONDITIONS: sun
 

PARTS:

EDIBLEcid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520

TASTE

RAW/COOK

SEASON

All

  

 

 

 

Shoots

 

 

 

 

Leaves

  RAW/DRY/COOK Spring

Stalk/Stem

 

 

 

 

Buds

  COOK Spring

Flowers

 

 

 

 

Fruits

 

 

 

 

Pods

  

 

    

Seeds

 

 COOK

 Spring

Nuts

 

 

 

 

Roots

 

 

 

 

Bark

inner

 

RAW/DRY/COOK

Spring

Sap

 

 RAW/COOK

 earlySpring

 

PORTION: small

 

COMMENT:  Inner bark; Leaves; Buds; Seed; Sap./  Inner bark - A mucilaginous texture, it is usually harvested in the spring, often dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread. Seeds - very small and would be exceedingly fiddly to collect and use. Sap - used for food. "The leaves are rich in protein and have a greater amino-acid content than wheat, corn, rice and barley. A concentrate made from them is as nourishing as meat, but can be produced faster and more cheaply. Some people believe that this will become a major food source for humans." (1)  That said, this tree is new to me. I am currently working on cooking the leaves, which are not breaking down very easily. I'm now drying them and trying to turn them into powder to see how that works. Stay tuned...Jun 23, 2023.

 

CAUTION:

 

NUTRITION/MEDICINAL: The leaves are rich in protein and have a greater amino-acid content than wheat, corn, rice and barley. Inner bark high in calories and Vitamin C.(4) Anodyne;  Anthelmintic;  Antiinflammatory;  Antiscorbutic;  Blood purifier;  Febrifuge;  Poultice;  Tonic.(1)

 

LOOK-A-LIKES:  

 

POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES: 

 

OTHER USES: The amount of cotton fluff from the female Cottonwood Tree is really impressive. It coats the ground!  //  Roots dried for use in friction fire making. The wood is also used for boxes, crates, furniture, plywood, matches and paper products.(2) Biomass;  Dye;  Pioneer;  Rooting hormone;  Shelterbelt;  Soil stabilization;  Wood.(1)

 

SOURCE LINKS (may include nutritional and medicinal info, plus other uses):

  1. https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Populus+deltoides
  2. http://www.eattheweeds.com/populus-deltoides-popular-poplars-and-aspens-2
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populus_deltoides
  4. http://www.foragingtexas.com/2012/08/cottonwood.html (good photos)
  5. https://eattheplanet.org/cottonwood-buds-medicinal-leaves-edible
  6. https://whatdoino-steve.blogspot.com/2009/07/cottonwood-untapped-alaskan-resource.html Great article on all kinds of uses.
  7. https://www.sierraclub.org/minnesota/blog/2023/06/cottonwood-star-tree - Theodore Roosevelt built his ranch house in North Dakota out of cottonwood and the Lewis and Clark expedition was taught how to make cottonwood dugout canoes by Indigenous people. 
  8. https://8billiontrees.com/trees/cottonwood-tree-leaf