After searching for years...I finally found my tree !

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prickersnall Madison, WI May 28, 2012

I finally found the cloned Eastern Cottonwood tree I have sought for over 3 years, this time asking at Madison, Wisconsin's Garden Expo. The representative of the company which has some was Dave Moyer, of Moyer's Inc. Landscape Services, in Stoughton, Wi. (phone: 608-873-9141 or try www.moyersinc.net )
The tree is nearly 12 feet tall, and will grow fast, providing a wide spread of shade to my house...much needed since I had to remove a giant silver maple that was rotted and dangerous.

Many people are not aware that the Eastern Cottonwood tree has two sexes; if you have a male, you will not get the pesky and troublesome cottony seed clusters that blow everywhere and stick to window-screens if it rains while they are aloft. But getting a male really requires a clone of a male tree, since the sex will not be known until the tree is a number of years old and finally blooms or seeds. I had to cut one down that turned out to be female, and it was by then about 18" in diameter, and shading my house..a great loss for indoor temps.

The clones that Moyer's has are of two varieties. If you want one, I'd ask for the Eastern Cottonwood, since I have no experience with the other kind that was cloned; nor can I tell the name of that other one.

In an attempt to create cottonwoods that will be "cottonless", a number of hybridized cottonwood trees have been grown, both in theU.S. and in Canada and offered "out there", but none has the beautiful "American Elm-like" form, height, and spread that the original Eastern Cottonwood has. I am delighted to have it, and recommend it to others. Besides fast growth, it has leaves on long petioles (stems) that permit them to toss in a breeze and sound like pattering rain.

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shortleaf suburban K.C., MO(Zone 6a) Jun 01, 2012

Glad to see you found it. From what I've seen some places are pedaling cuttings of likely female, which is going to have the cottony seeds everywhere. I too really like the Eastern Cottonwood, preferably without all the seeds, but I just love the sounds the leaves make when the wind blows and how they flutter when the wind blows. It's like a poorman's/woman's Quaking Aspen! If I had the room for one I'd make it a part of the landscape.
There is a big, mature one in the neighbor's yard just beyond our fence and I know about the cottony seeds everywhere!
Will

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prickersnall Madison, WI Jun 11, 2012

Hi Shortleaf...That's terrible...cloned female Cottonwoods ! The seeds are what have given this beautiful tree it's bad name...and it's totally unnecessary, since the males don't produce them.

Remember, folks..if you want one, you might...yourself... be able to root a cutting from a KNOWN male tree and HAVE a beautiful cotton-free cottonwood tree !

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