The eastern cottonwood, Kansas’ state tree, was important to pioneers traveling west for shade and shelter. It also helped establish home sites and is known for its fluffy seed pods.
The eastern cottonwood, the state tree of Kansas, is inextricably linked to the history of the state and the settlement of the United States. The tree was a sign of welcome and relief for the many travelers who in the mid-1800s headed west on covered wagons in search of a better life, founding farms and setting up ranches in some areas. Pioneers learned that if they saw a grove of cottonwood, they could usually find shade and shelter because cottonwood grows near water. Some aspens became known to pioneers as natural guiding spots, such as the tree growing on land that is now part of Osage County. This aspen allowed Leavenworth travelers to find where their trail connected to the Santa Fe Trail.
The Kansas State Tree not only served pioneers well on their journey west on the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails, but it also helped them establish their home sites once they decided on a place to settle. The pioneers discovered that it was quite easy to plant a poplar tree, usually just putting a branch in the ground and giving it enough water. A legend in Kansas, disputed by some people, says that one such tree easily grew from an aspen construction post that was driven into the ground to support work done by a crew at the Capitol in Topeka.
A relative of the willow, the Kansas state tree is not a popular choice for urban landscapes because its root system can disturb a home’s underground sewer and water lines. Poplar is also not a popular choice for wood products because its wood is weak. The tree grows rapidly and reaches maturity in about a dozen years. A poplar can grow to 5 feet (1.52 meters) in diameter and grow to 100 feet (30.48 meters) tall.
The Kansas State Tree, scientifically known as Populus deltoides, was formally adopted as the official state symbol in 1937. The fluffy seed pods that look like puffs of soft white cotton led to the name “cottonwood.” The tree’s prime location near bodies of water allows the seeds to travel far and reproduce more poplars. Nebraska also adopted the poplar as its state tree.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
