Cottonwood--A Tree for all Reasons

Abstract

There are many raisons-d’ètre for cottonwood, and members of Populus in general: foundation species of riparian ecosystems; production trees in high-yield plantations for fiber, lumber, and energy; clean-up trees in remediation of polluted industrial sites; favorite tree for genetic engineering and widely used model system for the basic study of tree biology. I will explain and illustrate several of these incarnations, touch on recent advances and insights gained, and point to some of the many questions this fascinating genus may yet help to elucidate.