Accession Count: 2
Common Name:
Yaqui cottonwood
Family Name:
Salicaceae
Botanical Name:
Populus mexicana
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Populus mexicana is a large tree that will usually grow to heights of 60 feet but can get taller. The light green deltoid leaves of Populus Mexicana are thin and 1 to 2 inches long with very fine serration along the margins (1). The light brown to grey bark of a mature tree is deeply furrowed (1). The yellow flowers of this tree grow in catkins often with 10-15 per shoot (2). The fruit of this tree are green caps that release copious amounts of “cotton” when mature (1).
Compound:
Pop mex
Geographic Origin:
Northwestern Mexico
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
Populus Mexicana is native to the costs of Mexico, most abundant in the Yaqui territory of Sonora and Sinoloa (2). There are two subspecies of Populus Mexicana, P. mexicana subsp. Mexicana, and P. Mexicana subsp. dimorpha, each one occurring on a different cost of Mexico (2). Cottonwoods grow near water sources such as streams or dry riverbeds, and a solitary cottonwood usually is a sign of underground water or a spring (3).
Cultivation Notes:
Populus mexicana can grow to be a very large tree with a shallow root system (3). It can produce large exposed surface roots; therefore, it should be planted with a lot of space (1). Fresh seeds do not require any pretreatment to germinate, but have little longevity, only viable for 2 weeks to a month (3). Cottonwoods root easily from 6-10 inch semihardwood cuttings taken mid to late summer (3).
Ethnobotany:
This tree is most commonly used as large, fast-growing shade trees. (1). In Sonora, farmers use young cottonwoods to create living fences (estacas) that follow streams. Green branches are attached to wire fences on a moist, gravely streambed and eventually take root and create a fence of trees. These trees also help trap alluvial soil that will hold on to water more effectively and can be used for farming. (3)
Height:
50 - 100 feet
Width:
20 - 50 feet
Growth Rate:
Fast Growing
Grow Season:
Spring
Flower Season:
Spring
Color:
Green
Function:
Shade
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Semi-hardy
Water Use:
High Water Use
Citations:
- Arizona
State University Public Database Retrieved 10/13/2019
- Eckenwalder, J.
(1977). NORTH AMERICAN COTTONWOODS (POPULUS, SALICACEAE) OF SECTIONS ABASO AND
AIGEIROS. Journal of the Arnold Arboretum, 58(3),
193-208. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/43782013
- Nokes,
J. (1986). How To Grow Native Plants
of Texas and the Southwest: Jill Nokes_. Texas: Texas Monthly Press, Inc.
