As Wikipedia puts it, "in natural conditions, it usually grows near rivers, with mud banks left after floods providing ideal conditions for seedling germination; human soil cultivation has allowed it to increase its range away from such habitats." With irrigation, the cottonwood, which is related to willows, poplars and aspens, has thrived in cities like Laramie and Cheyenne, providing for beautifully green streets when the leaves emerge in spring.
Cottonwoods can cause trouble in town by buckling sidewalks with their roots and losing numerous branches to the winds. They are not terribly long-lived, but don't tolerate competition well so it is difficult to plant other trees nearby. When these trees die, therefore, they leave huge gaps in the town's tree-cover. The female trees release their cottony seeds in May or June, which fly through the air like snow. The male pollen gets all over everything. But they are pretty trees, and the birds and squirrels like them, so they are well-loved despite their drawbacks.
This species is also the state tree of Nebraska and Kansas, another reason why I think that Wyoming should have chosen a mountain tree over a plains one. Aren't there enough tree species to go around that each state could have a different one? And while Nebraska has some cool places, I have tried and so far failed to love Kansas. Maybe my neighborhood cottonwoods will broaden my appreciation for the heartland. They host the lovely local woodpeckers, flickers and brown creepers, so I am not going to be a hater.
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