Cottonwood (poplar) (05)

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Cottonwood, black poplar

***** Location: Midwestern US
***** Season: Mid-Summer
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
A type of poplar, the cottonwood gets its name from its seeds which are born aloft on cotton-like tufts of fluff. My parents have a large cottonwood in their garden, and when the seed pods open, the yard looks like snow has fallen.

Because the seeds "fall" (around us at least) in the first or second week of June, I would propose cottonwood as a mid-summer kigo, at least for haijin writing in the Midwestern US.

Donald Jacob Uitvlugt

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Eastern Cottonwood, Necklace poplar, Great Plains cottonwood
Willow family of plants.



PHOTO: © Dr. Clinton C. Shock
Look at many more photos here:
http://www.malag.aes.oregonstate.edu/wildflowers/species.php/id-877

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Look at the Cottonwood seed:



http://www.mattoon.k12.il.us/Riddle/cottonwood%20cotton%20c.jpg
http://www.mattoon.k12.il.us/Riddle/

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Worldwide use

Japan
Amerika Kuro Yamanarashi (アメリカ クロヤマナラシ, やまならし)

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Spain

The "Populus Alba", álamo [blanco], blooms in spring (feb-april), a month before the fruits.
http://www.zonaverde.net/populusalba.htm
http://www.rjbalcala.com/fdf24.htm


The "Populus nigra", chopo or álamo negro, blooms in february-march.
Fruits in april-may.
http://www.zonaverde.net/populusnigra.htm
http://www.rjbalcala.com/fdf25.htm


In these links you can see the names of this and other plants in several languages:

Populus nigra
Family: Salicaceae
GB: Black Poplar
D: Schwarzpappel, Feldpappel, Pappelweide, Saarbaum, Alber, Pyramidenpappel, Schwarze Pappel
F: Peuplier noir, Peiplier franc, Liardier, Peuplier commun, Liard
I: Pioppo nero, Pioppo, Pioppo comune, Albaro
CZ: Topol černý
ESP: Alamo negro, Chopo común, Chopo negro

http://www.uochb.cas.cz/~natur/cerambyx/lp.htm
http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/ftc/dft/ftc_sal.htm
.. .. .. Tree Translator
http://www.peter.hemsley.btinternet.co.uk/CDB/Technical/Trees/trees.html

G. Carballo (Sembei)

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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

Through azure blue skies
June snow slowly drifts down --
the cottonwood tree!

Donald Jacob Uitvlugt

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sweltering evening--
porch screens wearing coats
of cottonwood fluff

Ed Schwellenbach, Illinois

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I remember the cottonwood in the southwest as we would find them in the arid arroyos as a sign of water. In the summer, there were clouds of cottonwood fluff lighting in the stream or creek.
Sometimes a bream or bass would rise to spy for movement, but rarely did they strike.

cottonwood fluff -- fish rise in the arroyo

"chibi" (pen-name for Dennis M. Holmes)

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Related words

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