Downy Poplar

Populus heterophylla (POP-yoo-lus het-er-oh-FIL-uh)

Family: Salicaceae Native Understory

UnderstoryNative

Swamp Cottonwood is a large deciduous tree in the willow family. It is found in riparian and low-lying wet areas in the Southeast. While it usually has a poor form, it can grow up to 70-90' tall with a trunk 2-3' in diameter in proper conditions. The tiny seeds can only germinate in the presence of moisture and sandy soil. The downy coating lets them be carried long distances on the wind. This plant is found at wet bottomlands. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 54 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 2 - Understory

See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Acer floridanum Tilia americana Ulmus alata

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions

Plant type: Native Plant; Perennial; Tree
Life cycle: Woody
Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture: Sand
Soil drainage: Frequent Standing Water | Moist | Occasionally Wet
Available space: more than 60 feet
NC region: Coastal
Growth rate: Medium
Canopy layer: 2 - Understory

Form & Appearance

Foliage: Deciduous
Leaf color: Gold/Yellow; Green
Leaf type: Simple
Leaf arrangement: Alternate
Leaf shape: Cordate; Obtuse; Ovate
Leaf margin: Crenulate; Serrate
Leaf size: > 6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present: No
Leaf detail: Broadly ovate, serrated margin, heart-shaped base, 4 to 7 inches long, petiole round, green above and paler below.
Flower color: White
Flower size: < 1 inch
Flower detail: Species is dioecious; males occur in 1 inch long catkins, females occur in a sparse white flowered catkin.
Fruit color: Brown/Copper; Green
Fruit type: Capsule
Fruit value: Edible
Fruit size: < 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail: Ovoid, green capsules that grow in clusters and turn brown when ripe. The seeds inside are small and downy. Seeds are hanging in catkins.
Bark color: Dark Brown; Dark Gray; Light Brown; Light Gray
Bark detail: Strongly vertically ridged.
Stem color: Brown/Copper

Wildlife & Ecology

Native status: Native
Origin: Canada and SE U.S.A., NC
Distribution: Occasional throughout E. North America
Wildlife value: Seedlings and young trees browsed by rabbits, deer, and domestic stock
Attracts: Small Mammals
Play value: Wildlife Food Source

Food & Medicine

Edible parts: Fruit
Harvest time: Spring
Fruit type: Capsule

Uses (ethnobotany)

The soft, light wood is used for crates, baskets, and high-quality paper pulp.

Landscape Use

Landscape location: Pond; Riparian
Landscape theme: Native Garden; Rain Garden
Garden tags: #swamps #riparian #deciduous #native tree #NC native #moist soil #Braham Arboretum #small mammals #single trunk #deciduous tree #wet soils tolerant #native garden #coastal plant #hortcontest

Problems & Resistance

Problems: Short-lived
Resistant to: Wet Soil

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.

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