Cottonwood: the behind the scenes wood.

Cottonwood is not a glamorous wood, but for its uses, glamour is not a requirement. And while some might think the name "cottonwood" refers to its use as pulpwood or excelsior, it refers instead to the cotton-like fluff that is found on the seeds of the trees - a kind of white wool that appears when the seeds are ripe.

Most of the cottonwood for commercial purposes is cut into lumber or veneer that is remanufactured. A typical use for cottonwood would be as core material, which is then overlaid with a furniture-grade veneer. Other uses include paneling, furniture parts, food containers, fruit baskets, pulpwood, luggage interiors, boxes and crates. Cottonwood is also used for shipping containers and agricultural implement parts.

Cottonwoods grow plentifully all across the United States. The name "cottonwood" denotes some eight to 10 species of Populus that are very similar in properties. The eastern and swamp cottonwoods tend to be found in small stands in a range from southern New England to the Great Lakes region and south to Florida and Texas. Black cottonwood's range extends from Montana, Idaho and Nevada to the Pacific Coast.

Cottonwood is also the Kansas state tree and was valued by the early pioneers. "It has a wide distribution in this country and to the early pioneers in the Midwestern plains the trees proved invaluable for shade and timber," wrote Albert Constantine Jr. in the book, "Know Your Woods."

A POPULAR POPLAR

Cottonwoods are part of the poplar family, known as rapid growing trees. There are more than 30 species in this genus growing in the northern temperate regions. They are usually divided into groups, which include balsams, white poplars, aspens and black poplars. The largest of the American poplars is black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa), which can be found from Alaska south to California. It can grow as tall as 200 feet and its large, pointy leaves are distinctive for their fragrance.

Out west, black cottonwood is sometimes called balsam cottonwood, which is shortened sometimes to balm. The lesser-known cottonwoods from around the United States include fremont cottonwood, also called white cottonwood (Populus fremontii); plains cottonwood, also known as western cottonwood, sweet cottonwood and sargen poplar (Populus deltoides and Populus occidentalis); Rio Grande cottonwood or valley cottonwood (Populus wislizeni); and palmer cottonwood (Populus palmeri).