| British Columbia Outdoor Wilderness Guide |
BALSAM POPLAR
Populus balsamifera
BLACK COTTONWOOD
Populus balsamifera ssp trichocarpa
- the
black cottonwood is a subspecies of the balsam poplar
- also
known as Balsam Cottonwood, Western Balsam Poplar,
Tacamahec Poplar
- the
cottonwood is named for the seeds with the cottony
hair that float through the air like summer snow
- the
balsam gets its name from the resin that has a sweet,
balsam odour
UNIQUE
FEATURES:
- hardy,
straight trunked
- fast
growing if have ample moisture and plenty of nutrients
- of
all BC's broad leafed trees the balsam poplar if
the tallest
- has
a resinous fragrance from the sticky buds
- bees
use this sticky resin from the buds as a caulking
material in their hives
- a
chemical produced in young twigs deters snowshoe
hare from feeding on them
LOCATION:
- Balsam
Poplar: northern part of BC to east of Rockies;
rare on Queen Charlotte Islands and northern outer
coast of Vancouver Island
- Black
Cottonwood: west of the Rocky Mountains
- where
their ranges overlap they are often hybridized
- prefer
areas with lots of light, favour floodplains and
moist upland sites
SIZE:
- Balsam
Polar: up to 25 metres in height
- Black
Cottonwood: up to 50 metres
FLOWERS:
- male
and female catkins which are found on different
trees
- male:
catkins, 2 to 3 cm long; female: catkins, 8 to 20
cm long
- produce
large quantities of floating fluff (cotton) that
carries the tiny seeds
FRUIT:
- hairy
capsules which release seeds covered in white, fluffy
hairs
LEAVES:
- thick,
shiny, dark green with a pale, brown marked underside
- 6
to 12 cm long
- may
be wedge-shaped with a pointed tip or oval
- finely
toothed
- cottonwood
has thicker, larger leaves
BARK:
- when
young it is smooth and yellowish-grey turning dark
grey, thick and deeply grooved or furrowed as it
ages
WOOD
CHARACTERISTICS:
- firewood,
short, fine fibres good for paper products
USES:
- modern
- tissues, other paper products, resin covered buds
often collected for their scent, the resin from
the buds is used for natural health ointments
- traditional
- cottonwood: wood - canoes, sideboards for riding,
cradles, firewood (the ashes were used to make a
cleanser for hair and buckskin, masks; roots - rope;
inner bark - soap, food; resin - adhesive
- cottonwood
and balsam buds - resin from buds used to treat
sore throat , coughs etc, a balm was also made from
cottonwood buds to relieve congestion
- balsam
poplar: bark - boiled as a poultice for wounds,
worm medicine; inner bark - food
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Phone
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