Blowing in the wind - cottonwood trees

Story and photos by Hitomi Dames

There were many fluffs of “cotton" blowing in the air when I reached the south end of Twin Ponds Park, right by the community garden, a couple of days ago.

I used software to magnify a catkin (flowers without petals) turning into cottony seeds.

I was happy to find the cottonwood tree without effort! It is a tall tree with branches scattering the cotton like fruits you see on the ground.

Then I Googled cottonwood when I came home. I was surprised to know that it is Populus which belong to Salicaceae (willow family). The only Populus I knew was a tall thin tree known as poplar. 

Poplar trees look like a closed umbrella and this one looks an open umbrella.