Where did the Cottonwood Tree get its name?
Cottonwood is dioecious (having separate sexes); that is, each tree is either male or female, not both. Cottonwood flowers in early spring, with time of pollen production, depending on region. Populus species are entirely wind-pollinated, as distinct from Willows, which are primarily insect-pollinated. Male catkins are 5 to 7 cm long. The cotton is produced in enormous quantities virtually every year, and can be windblown miles from its origin. The massive quantity of cotton produced in early summer may clog screens, gutters, air conditioners, and swimming pool filters. This cotton is dispersed only by female trees, and for only about two weeks of the year. This is the cottony-coated seed from which the tree gets its name. Though both sexes flower, only the female tree produces fruit.
