30: Cottonwood
- Leslie Bevans
- Oct 12
- 3 min read
Dear Friend,
We hope that you have started your day at a manageable pace and that your list of to-do-s includes things like: Find a good book to read, Adopt at least one pet, Rake a few leaves and watch the rest fall…
Next week, we will share some of the Autumn colors that Frank has been collecting. This week, we want to show you a few of his photos that celebrate the Cottonwood tree.
Cottonwoods mean a lot to me. When I was little, my Grandparents had property in the desert. There were gullies that ran through the property and there were a few stands of cottonwoods. My Grandpa told me that cottonwood trees grow in the gullies to give varmints shade in the summer and roots to hold on to in ‘gully washers’ so they don’t get swept out to the ocean. (He was good at tall tales and called everything a ‘varmint’ - dogs, cats, me and my brother and sister…) Now that I’m older than my Grandpa was when he shared this information, I know that there’s more to it, but I believed my Grandpa… and, to this day, I think of Cottonwood trees as caring Friends.
When you come across a stand of cottonwoods in the desert, they offer comforting coolness and shade, and you know that wherever they are, a water source isn’t far away. In fact, their roots are happiest when they are embedded in the bank of a waterway or an underground stream. Their roots also help to prevent erosion.
Cottonwood trees can get super tall (150’ plus) and full, just as big around as they are high, so they can be seen from a long distance away.
To me, a grove of cottonwoods is an oasis.
We’ve had a chance to meet all three kinds of cottonwoods that grow in the US.
Earlier this week we were camped in the Nevada desert so these photos are primarily Fremont cottonwood (Western cottonwood) and Black cottonwood (California cottonwood). The other type is Eastern cottonwood, which we have seen in places like Montana, and it happens to be the state tree of Wyoming.
Without their leaves side-by-side to compare, it isn’t super easy to tell the three different cottonwood trees apart and, if you don’t mind me saying, I’m not sure if knowing its name would change the way you feel about it, anyway. Isn’t it enough to know that when they grow up, they all have adorable wrinkly bark and great personalities? They are all so resilient and patient, always willing to listen.
Cottonwood trees are in the Poplar family, a family known for its helpful, healing, medicinal properties. The oil from cottonwood buds is antimicrobial and contains antioxidants, and can be used to treat achy joints and skin irritations. Winds often knock branches off the trees in late autumn, making this time of year a great time to harvest the buds! I’ll share a video showing how you, too, can harvest and prepare cottonwood bud oil! (link in the Ps of this letter)
Some folks don’t like cottonwood trees because of the pollen that flies off of the flowers (aka catkins) in the spring, and they also don’t like the cottony seed-bearing fluff that coats the surrounding landscape in early summer. (The male trees give off the pollen and - surprise, surprise - the female trees give off the fluff).
Cottonwood is a hardwood but its bark is soft and great for carving because it doesn’t splinter easily. Frank has some woodcarving tools… he’s looking forward to creating with cottonwood.
Meanwhile, (also in the Ps of this letter), I’ll share a link to a video that shows a carver making a bowl out of a small cottonwood log.
We’re currently camped above Hope Valley at 7400’ and will probably be moving on tomorrow morning. We'll be in good company.
There are snows in the forecast so we’re thinking (reluctantly) about heading to a lower elevation. It wouldn’t be wise to get snowed in up here, but it would be very beautiful.
We’ll probably opt for being wise.
Thank you so much for reading Tracks today. We are grateful to you for taking the time, and hope that you’ll Write to Us when you can, it is always very lovely to hear from you!
Wishing you and yours a happy week ahead!
Gently Be,
Leslie and Frank
Ps: here are the links that I mentioned:
