The cottonwood is a member of the willow family. The cottonwood species that grows in the Prime Desert Woodland Preserve is the fremontii. It is the cottonwood tree of the California desert that grows along watercourses and other moist sites below 6,000 feet. This impressive tree, which grows to 90 feet tall, has broad heart-shaped deciduous leaves, tapered to a point, that are light yellow-green above and slightly lighter below. The edges of the leaves are serrated by irregular teeth. The leaves are wider than they are long and have flattened stalks so the leaves flutter in the wind as do the leaves of aspen, another species of the genus Populus. In spring, the cottony seeds take flight, floating in the breeze and covering the ground with fluff.

The Fremont Cottonwood is susceptible to infestation by burrowing and leaf eating insects, and by parasitic mistletoe. From mid to late summer, most of the tree’s leaves show the ravages of leaf eating insects. Birds are attracted to these trees to feed on the abundance of insects. Raptors, such as hawks and owls watch from high branches for their prey of rodents on the ground below. Obviously, bird watching is especially good near these trees as they provide food, cover, and high observation perches, which are optimal habitat features for a variety of bird species.

There are several fine examples of this tree in the Prime Desert Woodland Preserve. Intermittent water runoff, from the streets adjacent to the Preserve, provides the moisture necessary to support these trees. The largest cottonwood tree towers over the northwest part of the Cottonwood Loop Trail. This site is actually a small grove of four cottonwood trees. A bench situated underneath the branches provides a shady place for rest and nature observation. Because it’s tall branches overlook the south and west part of the Preserve, this is a good spot to observe perching hawks. Other fine examples of this tree are on the Piute Trail where a bridge crosses a riparian area and near the intersection of the Joshua Tree Trail and the Creosote Loop. The map on the back of the newsletter marks these locations with symbols for easy reference while on the trails.

The next time you spot the Fremont Cottonwood, a tree that seems to out of place in the desert, remember that it is very much a part of the Mojave Desert ecology. It grows in very unique and rare areas where water flows intermittently or perennially, or where its deep roots are able to tap sub-surface moisture. It is very hardy in surviving long periods of dryness as all true desert plants are.