Balsam Poplar and Black Cottonwood


Alpine Fir
Alpine Larch
Amabilis Fir
Balsam Poplar/Black Cottonwood
Big Leaf Maple
Black Spruce
Choke Cherry
Pacific Dogwood
Douglas Fir
Douglas Maple
Engelmann Spruce
Garry Oak
Grand Fir
Black Hawthorn
Lodgepole Pine
Mountain Alder
Mountain Hemlock
Pacific Willow
Paper Birch
Ponderosa Pine
Red Alder
Rocky Mountain Juniper
Sitka Spruce
Tamarack Larch
Trembling Aspen
Vine Maple
Western Hemlock
Western Larch
Western Red Cedar
Western White Pine
Western Yew
Whitebark Pine
White Spruce
Yellow Cedar
Animals
Birds
Fish
Wildflowers
Trees
Survival
Parks
Trails





British Columbia Outdoor Wilderness Guide


Balsam1.Jpg
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

Balsam3.Gif
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

Balsam2.Jpg 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

Follow Us On Facebook


List of BC Adventure
Advertisers

Site Info
Advertise With Us
Awards
About Us
Contact Us
Free Vacation Guides
BC Vacation Guides
Coastal Vacations
Thompson Okanagan
EcoTourism
Fishing Vacations
Guest Ranch Guide
Romantic Getaways
Wilderness Vacations
Winter Vacations
The Rockies Guide
Login







Balsam Poplar and Black Cottonwood