When we first moved here, we were initially elated and then dismayed at a grove of trees on our property. We had hoped they were quaking aspens, much prized by homeowners and a beloved emblem of the Rockies. On closer inspection, though, we realized we were looking at plain ol' cottonwoods--and not just any cottonwood, but the narrowleaf cottonwood (Populus angustifolia). I say dismayed, because the narrowleaf is weedy and unattractive even on its best days, and by the end of summer a bedraggled ugly duckling.
Aspens and cottonwoods are related, since they're both of the Populus genus. The narrowleaf cottonwood, though, is decidedly less grand. It suckers even more freely than aspens and shoots up rapidly, providing quick cover, yet just as rapidly dying an unattractive and protracted death. By the end of its life cycle it's a messy tangle of broken, rotting wood. While we appreciate having deciduous trees on the property, we were honestly a bit let down that it had to be "that kind."
To my surprise, the narrowleaf has proven to be a goldmine for feeding and nesting birds. Pygmy nuthatches nest inside; woodpeckers and all sorts of other birds feed up and down the trunk; and the only times we see a Williamson's sapsucker on our property (pictured at left) is in spring when it feeds on the sap of the narrowleaf. Not surprisingly, according to the literature, the narrowleaf cottonwood is a valuable tree for wildlife. While lovely to look at, aspens are chiefly valuable to wildlife when deer, elk and moose chew on them. Overall, "quakies" have less to offer the wild things. Nearly everyone is familiar with the plains cottonwood, which is a tree of the flatland. The narrowleaf (along with its 'sister' cottonwood, the lanceleaf) is the cottonwood of higher elevation riparian areas. It's found next to streams and rivers, and wherever it grows is an indication of nearby water, either beside the tree or below the surface. In fact, I can track the saturation rate beneath the surface of our land by following the suckering habit of the narrowleaf cottonwood grove. The narrowleaf is hardy up to about 9,000 or 10,000 feet elevation (we're at 7700 ft/2347 meters). As some botanists have tactfully indicated, the narrowleaf isn't much of an ornamental. Planting them isn't encouraged in urban settings, no doubt due to its brief lifespan, rampant suckering, and messy habit. The sticky buds were supposedly used as chewing gum by indigenous people, and as S.K. Wier writes, the tree itself was first described in 1805 by Lewis and Clark. Expedition notes indicate it was a cottonwood, but with the narrow leaves of a wild cherry or chokecherry. During the 1820 Stephen Long expedition, naturalist Edwin James recognized it as the cottonwood mentioned by Lewis and Clark. Later, James' name was affixed to the tree's scientific name. Funny how things we initially disparage end up becoming prized on closer acquaintance. Such an unlovely yet valuable plant!
Top photo of Narrowleaf Cottonwood in summer via Wikimedia Commons Middle photo of Williamson's Sapsucker by Francesco Varenisi via Wikipedia Commons
Bottom photo of Narrowleaf Cottonwood in autumn via Wikimedia Commons
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