• GENERAL DISTRIBUTION
• ECOSYSTEMS
• STATES
• BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS
• KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS
• SAF COVER TYPES
• SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES
• HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES

GENERAL DISTRIBUTION:

ECOSYSTEMS [76]:

STATES:

BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS [13]:

KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS [136]:

SAF COVER TYPES [64]:

SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES [188]:

HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES:

Trees: Throughout its range, eastern cottonwood can grow in pure stands [145], but more often grows in mixed stands [10,28]. Common tree associates include hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) [26,30,90,111,141], sugarberry (C. laevigata) [111,141,150,161], boxelder (Acer negundo) [10,30,111,114,131,141,161,166], silver maple (A. saccharinum) [2,8,10,51,102,111,141,202,221], sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) [2,26,114,131,141,150,161,196], American elm (Ulmus americana) [8,26,62,99,111,114,141,150,161,166,202], green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) [2,3,8,62,70,99,111,141,150], sandbar willow (Salix exigua) [8,166,234], and bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) [118,141].

Other tree species found with eastern cottonwood include swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor), pin oak (Q. palustris) [90,141], white mulberry (Morus alba), black cherry (Prunus serotina),  chestnut oak (Quercus prinus), black oak (Q. velutina), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata), red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens) [90], American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), bitternut hickory (C. cordiformis) [114,141], white ash (Fraxinus americana) [114,131], basswood (Tilia americana) [99,114], balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera), pussy willow (Salix discolor), speckled alder (Alnus rugosa) [8], black willow (Salix nigra) [10,62,161,166], Shumard oak (Quercus shumardii) [141,219], post oak (Q. stellata), cherrybark oak (Q. pagoda), northern red oak (Q. rubra), Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus), shagbark hickory (Carya ovata),  mockernut hickory (C. tomentosa), shellbark hickory (C. lacinios), pignut hickory (C. glabra), river birch (Betula nigra), red maple (Acer rubrum), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis), pawpaw (Asimina triloba), honey-locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) [141], hawthorns (Crataegus spp.), common persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) [141,161], black walnut (Juglans nigra) [3,123,141], chinkapin oak (Q. muehlenbergii), white oak (Q. alba), [118], peachleaf willow (Salix amygdaloides) [99,221], pecan (Carya illinoensis) [26,150,161,166], French tamarisk (Tamarix gallica) [166], eastern swampprivet (Forestiera acuminata), red mulberry (Morus rubra), Chinaberrytree (Melia azedarach), water hickory (Carya aquatica), buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) [161], gum bully (Sideroxylon lanuginosum) [30], and cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia) [30,161].

Shrubs: Some common shrubs associated with eastern cottonwood are winged burning bush (Euonymus alata), northern spicebush (Lindera benzoin), black tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica), multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), southern arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum), blackhaw (V. prunifolium) [90], sand shinnery oak (Quercus havardii), sand sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia) [206], and common ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) [8].

Graminoids: Graminoid species found in the understory of eastern cottonwood stands include streambank wheatgrass (Elymus lanceolatus ssp. psammophilus), sanddune sandbur (Cenchrus tribuloides) [234], Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis) [166,234], switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) [206], Japanese brome (Bromus japonicus), Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) [166], big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii var. gerardii), Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides), and eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides) [206].

Forbs and vines: Several forbs and vines are found in eastern cottonwood stands. Some common species are common moonseed (Menispermum canadense), Asian bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), privet (Ligustrum spp.) [90], poison-ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), [90,111,166,234], trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans), oneseed bur cucumber (Sicyos angulatus) [111], peppervine (Ampelopsis arborea), grape (Vitis spp.), Rubus species [111,166], Smilax species, Helianthus species, American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) [26], Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) [111,166], goldenrod (Solidago spp.), saw greenbrier (Smilax bona-nox), great ragweed (Ambrosia trifida), Canadian horseweed (Conyza canadensis) [166], white sweetclover (Melilotus alba), roughleaf dogwood (Cornus drummondii), coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), and American searocket (Cakile edentula) [234].

Classifications systems listing eastern cottonwood is an indicator species or as a dominant component of community types, habitat types, plant associations, or riparian site types are as follows:

Plains cottonwood:
Trees: Common tree associates of plains cottonwood include boxelder [4,9,12,25,39,61,74,92,105,124,130,143], green ash [4,9,12,19,25,39,54,61,74,83,84,92,104,124,130], American elm [9,12,19,25,39,61,104,105,124,130,143], chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) [19,54,92,130,143,163,208], peachleaf willow [12,20,25,36,61,95,124,130,143], red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea) [92,95,130,143,208], Russian-olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) [36,95], willows (Salix spp.) [4,17,61,92,139,163,208], bur oak [19,25,61,104,105,124,130,143,173], silver maple [4,61], hackberry [12,25,61], black willow [42,143], and sandbar willow [4,12,25,143,175].

Other trees found with plains cottonwood include silver buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea) [54,139], river willow (Salix fluviatilis) [20], black cottonwood (Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa) [96], narrowleaf cottonwood [95,96], Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) [83,84,163], Cornus species [61], black willow [42,143], red elderberry [143], fivestamen tamarisk (Tamarix chinensis) [17], red mulberry [12,105], basswood [25,105], northern red oak, chinkapin oak, bitternut hickory, slippery elm (Ulmus rubra), black oak (Quercus velutina), white ash, eastern redbud, black cherry [105], American plum (Prunus americana), eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) [19], eastern hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) [25,105], eastern redcedar, black walnut, Kentucky coffeetree, slippery elm, and rock elm (Ulmus thomasii) [25].

Shrubs: Shrubs associated with plains cottonwood are western snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis) [4,20,54,83,84,92,130,143,163,175], Wood's rose (Rosa woodsii) [20,83,84,92,95], plains silver sagebrush (Artemisia cana ssp. cana), [20,50], golden currant (Ribes aureum) [92], Rocky Mountain maple (Acer glabrum)  [208], Saskatoon serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)  [130,208], Douglas hawthorn (Crataegus douglasii) [208], American hazel (Corylus americana) [105,143], American black currant (Ribes americanum), alderleaf buckthorn (Rhamnus alnifolia), smooth rose (Rosa blanda) [143], common reed (Phragmites australis) [175], desert false indigo (Amorpha fruticosa) [4], toughleaf dogwood (Cornus asperifolia), red raspberry (Rubus idaeus), common cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium), eastern wahoo (Euonymus atrourpureua), smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) [105], and skunkbush sumac (R. trilobata) [107].

Graminoids: Graminoid species found in the understory of plains cottonwood stands include blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) [4,50], cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) [50], Canada wildrye [20,36,83,92,95,175], prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinata) [175], sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus), buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides) [4], barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli) [20,143], western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii) [20,36], prairie sandreed (Calamovilfa longifolia) [20,107], smooth brome (Bromus inermis) [20,36,92,95], quackgrass (Elytrigia repens), green muhly (Muhlenbergia racemosa) [20,92,95], hairy wildrye (Elymus villosusi), creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera), timothy (Phleum pratense) [92,95], Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) [36,92,95,107,143], sedges (Carex spp.), Bromus species, Scirpus species [39], Virginia wildrye (Elymus virginicus) [36], Assiniboia sedge (Carex assiniboinensis), and slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus) [143].

Forbs and vines: Forbs and vines found in plains cottonwood stands are Virginia creeper [20,92,95,105,124], western poison-ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii) [20,92,95], peppervine [92], longroot smartweed (Polygonum amphibium), golden dock (Rumex maritimus), riverbank grape (Vitis riparia), Louisiana sagewort (Artemisia ludoviciana) [20], white sweetclover [20,83,84,95,107,175], wild licorice (Glycrrhiza lepidota) [20,95], yellow sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis) [95], American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens), frost grape (Vitis vulpina) [105,124,175], western white clematis (Clematis ligusticifolia) [124], poison-ivy [36,143,175], woodbine, American vetch (Vicia americana), Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) [36], starry Solomon's seal (Maianthemum stellatum) [83,84,143], veiny meadowrue (Thalictrum venulosum), purple meadowrue (T. dasycarpum) [83,84], smooth Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum var. commutatum), California nettle (Urtica dioica), heartleaf four o' clock (Mirabilis nyctaginea), wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis)], creeping violet (Viola canadensis var. rugulosa), fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium), moist sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis ssp. ulginosus), smooth aster (Aster laevis), white panicle aster (Symphotrichum lanceolatum ssp. lanceolatum), wild mint (Mentha canadensis), common hop (Humulus americanus), Blue Ridge carrionflower (Smilax lasioneura), hedge false bindweed (Calystegia sepium) [143], lambsquarters (Chenopodium album), poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), curly dock (Rumex crispus) [175], common sunflower (Helianthus annuus), Chenopodium species, and prickly Russian-thistle (Salsola tragus) [4].

Classifications systems listing plains cottonwood is an indicator species or as a dominant component of community types, habitat types, plant associations, riparian site types, or dominance types are as follows:

Montana [92,93,94,95]
North Dakota [83,84,223]
Wyoming [162,207]
Manitoba [143]

Rio grade cottonwood:
Common tree associates of Rio Grande cottonwood include peachleaf willow [73,113], hybrid crack willow (Salix x rubens) [73], Russian-olive, Goodding willow (Salix gooddingii) [59,113], saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima) [59], and sandbar willow (Salix exigua) [113]. Understory species include mule's fat (Baccharis glutinosa), desert false indigo, stretchberry (Forestiera neomexicana), screwbean mesquite (Prosopis pubescens), and Torrey wolfberry (Lycium torreyi) [59,113].

Classifications systems listing Rio Grande cottonwood is an indicator species or as a dominant component of community types, habitat types, plant associations, or riparian site types are as follows:

Arizona [204]
New Mexico [53,116,204]
Texas [46,206]

Related categories for SPECIES: Populus deltoides | Eastern Cottonwood