September/October 2014 | 35
Every Tree
Tells a Story
Whispers from a Plains Cottonwood
A
s a breeze picks up in the night air, leaves
from every treetop near and far rustle
together to render soft, swishing sounds. But
nothing sounds quite like the whisper of a
plains cottonwood's glossy, shimmering leaves
swaying back and forth in the wind.
The plains cottonwood was one of the only
trees that assisted early American settlers as
they forged across the country. Historic records
document the sizes of these massive trees over
the years; the species is even recognized on
the National Register of Big Trees.
The plains cottonwood national champion
tree caught the attention of American Forests
in 1967 when the species' largest documented
tree at the time measured approximately 11.5
feet in trunk diameter. The tree stood in
Hygiene, Colorado. While searching for a new
champion more recently, however, arborist
Mark Lewing found the plains cottonwood he
was looking for in Ravalli, Montana. The new
champion was added to the National Register of
Big Trees—a list of 768 champions sponsored
by The Davey Tree Expert Company.
Plains cottonwoods are large trees native
to the Great Plains region and eastern border
of the Rocky Mountains. These champions,
standing an average of 50 to 75 feet tall, were
friends to the early Americans in various ways.
Plains cottonwoods provided shade and shelter
from scorching summer heat across the Great
Plains. The branches of these giants were also
frequently used for fires inside of tipis and
homes made of wood.
The current national champion plains
cottonwood in Ravalli is believed to have been
planted at the turn of the 20th century, which
demonstrates the species' fast growth speed.
Whether you are a Great Plains native
or visiting the region, keep an ear open for the
rustling whisper of the plains cottonwood.
