Black Cottonwood, Balsam Poplar
Populus trichocarpa
Synonyms: Populus balsamifera, Populus balsamifera var. californica, Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa
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Black cottonwood as seen at left at about 7000 feet at the base of the Adams Glacier, Mount Adams Wilderness..........August 20, 2031. It should be noted here that the plants viewed are about 4-6 feet high. Mature plants at lower altitudes can reach well over 100 feet high after a dozen years of growth. The photo at right shows fall foliage on black cottonwood as seen at Eightmile Crossing Campground, Mt. Hood National Forest.....October 15, 2021.
Close-ups of black cottonwood at about 7000 feet at the base of the Adams Glacier, Mount Adams Wilderness..........August 20, 2013.
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The photo at left shows the leaf shapes of leaves
of black cottonwood from SnowKing SnowPark along Rd #82 on the southeastern slopes
of Mt. Adams.........August 25, 2005. The upper leaf surface is
shown in the middle. The photo at right shows a very large black cottonwood as seen along the Lewis River Trail #31 downstream of Bolt Camp Shelter, Gifford Pinchot National Forest......June 18, 2024.
The photo above shows the lighter colored lower
leaf blade surface of black cottonwood from SnowKing SnowPark along Rd #82on
the southeastern slopes of Mt. Adams...........August 25, 2005.
The photo above shows a close-up of the upper leaf surface of black cottonwood as seen at about 6900' on the moraines at the base of the Adams Glacier on Mt. Adams...........September 18, 2008. Plants at this location are very reduced in size and at most are a meter high.
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The photo at left shows a large black cottonwood in riparian forest along the Dry Creek Trail #149, Gifford Pinchot National Forest.....September 30, 2024. The photo at right shows a close-up of the glaucous lower leaf surface of black cottonwood as seen at about 6900' on the moraines at the base of the Adams Glacier on Mt. Adams.........September 18, 2008.
Paul Slichter