Rio Grande Cottonwood

Populus deltoides wislizenii

Physical Characteristics

Populus deltoides wislizenii is a deciduous Tree growing to 30 m (98ft 5in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 2. It is in flower in April. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). and is pollinated by Wind. The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Distribution

Southern N. America - Texas, Colorado, Mexico.

Habitats

Woodland Garden Canopy;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers Inner bark Leaves Seed Edible Uses: Gum Inner bark[105, 161, 177]. There are no more details but inner bark is often dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread. Catkins - raw[46, 61, 105, 161, 257]. The cotton from the pistillate catkins has been used by children as a chewing gum[257]. Seeds[105, 161, 177]. No more details are given but the seeds are very small and would be exceedingly fiddly to collect and use. Buds[105, 161, 177]. Used as a chewing gum[257].

Medicinal Uses

Anodyne Antiinflammatory Febrifuge Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, the bark of most, if not all members of the genus contain salicin, a glycoside that probably decomposes into salicylic acid (aspirin) in the body[213, 238]. The bark is therefore anodyne, anti-inflammatory and febrifuge. It is used especially in treating rheumatism and fevers, and also to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps[238].

Known Hazards

None known