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Narrowleaf Cottonwood

Populus angustifolia

Narrowleaf cottonwood reads almost like a willow, with slender pale-green leaves lining mountain streams across the interior West. A key riparian tree at higher elevations than Fremont cottonwood.

Family
Salicaceae
Type
tree
Lifespan
perennial
Height
30–60 ft
Spacing
20–35 ft apart
Light
sun
Soil moisture
moist, wet
Soil pH
neutral, alkaline
Bloom
March, April, May
Bloom colors
green, brown
Wildlife value
songbirds, larval host, mammals
Caterpillar hosts
~367 butterfly & moth species
Landscape uses
specimen, rain garden
Native states
AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, SD, UT, WY