KINGDOM: Plantae DIVISION: Magnoliophyta (flowering plants) CLASS: Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons) ORDER: Malpighiales FAMILY: Salicaceae GENUS: Populus SECTION: Aegiros SPECIES: Populus Deltoide SUBSPECIES: Molinifera (Plains Cottonwood) The picture above is one of the several Plains Cottonwood trees in our yard. Last year while we were studying the Westward Expansion, I found an …

The fluffy white seeds produced by female Cottonwood trees during early summer give the tree its name (and cause many people to suffer severe allergies around here, I might add).

Female trees release clouds of cottony or silky white fibers that carry the tiny brown seeds from small green capsules in clusters hanging from the twigs. The subspecies we have, monilifera, describes the linear necklace-like strand of seed pods which I photographed in the picture above.

Some years produce a heavier crop. This is a BUMPER CROP year! Look at all of that cotton! If it were useful for something, we’d be RICH!

Cottonwood leaves brush together and make a distinctive rustling or whispering sound in the eternal south wind of the prairie summer, a sound not unlike the sound of the sea at a distance. Children who grow up on prairie farms always remember the sound of the cottonwoods through their windows …

Cottonwoods are found gropwing where there is wet soild which is usually along around lakes or along riverbanks and irrigation ditches. Ours grow on the banks of a irrigation ditches that border our property. Here is some interesting information on the Cottonwood Tree bark: Though the wood of this tree …

The airborne cottony masses are filaments to carry the seeds on the wind. Can you tell we studied Botany this year? It looks like it’s SNOWING when the cotton is flying. The seeds finally come down for a landing and many of them will take root. We’ve had to pull …

When I decided to have Susie over at Bluebird Blogs create a new skin for my blog I didn’t really consider what that would mean in regard to keeping up my blog. I was too excited about the new look to think about the details of maintaining it (LOL). Long …

There are many reasons we like living out here in the country (and an equally long list of reasons why we don’t which I’ll explore next week). Here are the first thirteen that come to mind: Beautiful unobstructed views of the sunrise & sunset. Plenty of time to get the …

Several of the blogs I surf participate in Thursday Thirteen. I’ve looked into this before, but I’ve never taken the time to figure out what you’re supposed to do until today. I thought there was some master list somewhere that everyone was to follow, but there isn’t. It’s basically a …