Foothills, montane, subalpine. Streamsides. Spring.
Fish Creek Trail, May 21, 2006.

Narrowleaf Cottonwood is the dominant tree for miles along the Dolores and Animas Rivers near Dolores and Durango, Colorado and along many other streams in the Southwest.  From 6,500 feet to 8,500 feet it forms extensive stands along most streams where, as in this picture, it commonly grows tightly packed, slender, and to 60 feet tall.  As the green leaves from ground up indicate, the trunk has a raggedy collection of small limbs from the ground level to the thicker-leaved crown. (See the next photograph.)  Click for glorious fall color.

"Populus" is Latin for "people" and is the classical Latin name for the tree.  "Angustifolia" is Latin for "narrow leaf".

Populus angustifolia was named and first described by Edwin James.

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Streamsides. Spring.
Roaring Fork Road, January 24, 2007.

Winter allows you to see the mass of interlaced branches characteristic of Populus angustifolia.  Contrast this growth pattern with that of Populus deltoides with its long branchless trunk and crown of leaves.

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Streamsides. Spring.
Fish Creek Trail, July 28, 2000.

Narrowleaf Cottonwood is in the Willow Family and, because of its long narrow leaves, it is often mistaken for a "Willow".  But no Willow in our area grows so tall. Narrowleaf Cottonwood leaves change to a golden yellow early in the fall turning stream valleys into corridors of color.