Cotton From The Sky

Cottonwood 'cotton' alongside the road.

I live in an area with lots of cottonwood trees (the species is called "black cottonwood", for some reason). Ever since I was a child, watching the cottonwoods let loose their tufts of "cotton" was an early summer ritual.

When I was a kid I thought it was real cotton. Of course, now that I am grown up, I know better. :-)

A lot of people don't like cottonwood trees. They say they shed branches. Which they will sometimes do. But other species of trees (maples, firs, spruces) will shed branches in heavy winds also.

Cotton alongside the trail, during the peak of cottonwood season.

They say they don't like the cotton, because it gives them allergies. It's probably too big to give someone an allergic reaction, but the pollen may cause trouble for some (it doesn't for me).

One of the largest cottonwoods in the area, and my favorite spot on the Cedar River Trail. Sometimes I make a pilgrimage to this special tree (which I've given a nickname), and I'll sometimes stop, and just look at it and wonder. Even at night it stands out against the stars.

Cottonwoods are big, beautiful trees. There are several in my area that are probably over 100 years old. The oldest known cottonwood in the Pacific Northwest is a 270 year old cottonwood near Salem, Oregon -- a monstrous looking tree.

Black cottonwoods are native to the NW US and BC in Canada, and they also occur in Alberta and Alaska. Black cottonwoods have been introduced in Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

Cottonwood tree buds on the Cedar River Trail. Usually they stay on the tree, and the 'cotton' lets loose, and drifts off into the air.

The cottonwoods in my area decided to start letting loose their 'cotton' about the second week in May. During that time, whenever there was a wind, the air looked like a very light snowstorm, except it was 75-80 degrees out (20-24C) and the "snow" floated around in tufts, drifting in the bright, balmy sun.

One of the largest and oldest cottonwood trees in the area. It's probably over 100 years old, and nearly 8 feet wide at the base. It looks like it has lost branches several times during its lifespan (photo taken with cheap digital snapshot camera).

The cottonwood 'cotton' season -- if you could call it that -- lasts almost a month. It usually goes from very late May through the best part of June.

Another view of the oldest tree in the area (photo taken with a cheap digital snapshot camera). The trunk is nearly 8 feet (2.5 meters) wide.

The white spots in the middle of the picture (which look a little like flakes of snow) are tufts of 'cotton'.

 

 An enhanced view of cotton in the sky (resembling stars in this edited picture), with a large cottonwood tree below.

Cottonwood season is when the sun is almost the highest in the sky, and I always associate cottonwood season with bright, bright sunshine, balmy temperatures (usually in the low 80's: 23-25C) and magically long days.

 'Cotton' alongside the Cedar River Trail.

As of today (June 17th) cottonwood season has been finished for about a week. The sky no longer has tufts of cotton floating around, and the 'cotton' by the side of the Trail is starting to break down.

Cottonwood season always seems to peak at the turn of the month of May into June. It's still one of my favorite times of the year.

For more information on the largest black cottonwood tree in the world (in Salem, Oregon), check out this informative web page:

http://ortravelexperience.com/oregon-heritage-trees/willamette-mission-cottonwood/