Virginia Tech Dendrology

Fremont cottonwood Salicaceae Populus fremontii S. Watson symbol: POFR2
Leaf: Alternate, simple, broadly cordate to triangular, coarsely crenate, 2 to 4 inches long, petiole flattened, shiny green above, sometimes pubescent beneath.
Flower: Species is dioecious; males and females as hanging catkins, 2 to 4 inches long, yellow-green, appearing in early spring before the leaves.
Fruit: Light brown, small egg-shaped capsules, splits (3 parts) to disseminate numerous, small cottony seeds.
Twig: Moderate to stout, gray-brown to yellow-brown, swollen at leaf scars; large green-brown pointed bud, not sticky; twig has a bitter aspirin taste.
Bark: Light gray-brown, becoming deeply furrowed with flat-topped ridges.
Form: Reaches up to 60 feet in height with a broad, flat-topped crown, with a trunk up to 2 to 3 feet in diameter.
Looks like: black cottonwood - eastern cottonwood - quaking aspen - narrowleaf cottonwood

Additional Range Information: Populus fremontii is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color - Wood
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database - USDAFS Forest Products Lab
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information