American cottonwood

American eastern cottonwood is one of many true poplars, such as aspen, but requires expertise to use successfully.

Latin Name

Populus deltoides

Other Common Names

eastern cottonwood, eastern poplar

American_cottonwood_big

American eastern cottonwood trees are fast growing and the largest of this genus grows widely across the USA and is normally associated with water. They can be up to 8 feet in diameter. Cottonwood may be referred to as white poplar and should not be confused with tulipwood, known as yellow poplar in the USA. 

FOREST GROWTH

FIA data shows U.S. cottonwood growing stock is 236 million m3, 1.5% of total U.S. hardwood growing stock. U.S. cottonwood is growing 4.3 million m3 per year while the harvest is 1.8 million m3 per year. The net volume (after harvest) is increasing 2.6 million m3 each year. American cottonwood growth exceeds harvest in all the main producing states except Maine (where it is mainly planted in urban areas), Nebraska and Texas. Cottonwoods are declining in some semi-arid areas of the U.S. due to drought, invasion of exotic species and overgrazing. 

Alabama Arkansas Arizona California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Delaware Florida Georgia Iowa Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Massachusetts Maryland Maine Michigan Minnesota Missouri Mississippi Montana North Carolina North Dakota Nebraska New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico Nevada New York Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia Vermont Washington Wisconsin West Virginia Wyoming Average annual growth, m3 0 3.5K
Back to whole of U.S. 0-20K 20K-40K 40K-60K 60K-80K 80K-100K 100K-120K > 120K Average annual growth, m3 0 200K
-15K -10K -5K 0 5K 10K 15K 20K 25K GROWTH AND REMOVALS, 1000 m³ -10K -9K -8K -7K -6K -5K -4K -3K -2K -1K 0 1K 2K 3K 4K 5K 6K 7K 8K 9K 10K GROWTH AND REMOVALS, 1000 m³ -2000 -1750 -1500 -1250 -1000 -750 -500 -250 0 250 500 750 1000 1250 1500 1750 2000 GROWTH AND REMOVALS, 1000 m³ -300 -200 -100 0 100 200 300 400 500 GROWTH AND REMOVALS, 1000 m³ Removals 0 Growth 0 Net growth 0
0 200K 400K 600K 800K 1M 1.2M FOREST VOLUME, 1000 m³ 0 40K 80K 120K 160K 200K 240K 280K 320K 360K 400K 440K FOREST VOLUME, 1000 m³ 0 10K 20K 30K 40K 50K 60K 70K 80K 100K FOREST VOLUME, 1000 m³ 0 4K 8K 12K 16K 20K FOREST VOLUME, 1000 m³ Forest volume 0

LCA Tool


seconds
it takes seconds to grow 1m³ of
The replacement rate is calculated from total U.S. annual increment of the specified hardwood species derived from the U.S. Forest Service Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program and assumes that 2m³ of logs is harvested to produce 1m³ of lumber (i.e. 50% conversion efficiency). The rapid rate of replacement is due to the very large volume of hardwood trees in U.S. forest.

American cottonwood is available as sawn lumber and veneer but may only be available in limited volumes of export specifications, determined by current export demand. Cottonwood lumber is mainly available from southern producers predominantly in 4/4” (25.4mm) and 5/4” (32mm), where it needs to be processed quickly when freshly cut (green) to avoid checking and blue staining.    

Cottonwood is a porous wood with a coarse texture. It is generally straight grained with relatively few defects. The sap is white, but may contain brown streaks. The heartwood is pale to light brown. 

Mechanical Properties

The wood of cottonwood is relatively lightweight and soft. It is weak in bending and compression as well as shock resistance. Cottonwood has no taste or odour when dry.

  • 0.4

    Specific Gravity (12% M.C.)

    449 kg/m3

    Average Weight (12% M.C.)

    11.30%

    Average Volume Shrinkage (Green to 6% M.C.)

    58.608 MPa

    Modulus of Rupture

    9,466 MPa

    Modulus of Elasticity

    33.854 MPa

    Compressive strength (parallel to grain)

    1,913 N

    Hardness
Oiled
cottonwood_oiled
Un-oiled
cottonwood_unoiled
  • Cottonwood presents some machining challenges, which can be overcome. The wood may produce a fuzzy or woolly surface when cut, so it is essential to use sharp blades set at the correct angle to avoid this problem. Otherwise it glues and screws well without splitting. It dries easily but with a tendency to warp, with small movement in performance.

     
  • The wood is non-resistant to decay. 

Traditionally used for venetian blinds, American cottonwood is used for furniture, especially reproduction furniture and furniture parts. Other uses include internal joinery and mouldings.

Mouldings
Furniture
Cabinets

Examples of Use