Cotton wool tree??

Spider

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Jul 17, 2013, 12:56:27 PM7/17/13

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A friend has asked me if I know the identity of the tree near her home
which produces a mass of cotton wool as it sheds its seeds. 'Her' tree
is in Bristol, but I saw a similar display at Hampton Court on Saturday.
Alas, I couldn't get close enough to it to see if there was a label.
I know it's not much information, but these trees are currently shedding
their white woolly seed mass. Any ideas, please?
--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

Sacha

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Jul 17, 2013, 1:05:27 PM7/17/13

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On 2013-07-17 17:56:27 +0100, Spider said:

> A friend has asked me if I know the identity of the tree near her home
> which produces a mass of cotton wool as it sheds its seeds. 'Her' tree
> is in Bristol, but I saw a similar display at Hampton Court on
> Saturday. Alas, I couldn't get close enough to it to see if there was
> a label. I know it's not much information, but these trees are
> currently shedding their white woolly seed mass. Any ideas, please?

Could it be Populus nigra?
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

Spider

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Jul 17, 2013, 1:42:56 PM7/17/13

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On 17/07/2013 18:05, Sacha wrote:
> On 2013-07-17 17:56:27 +0100, Spider said:
>
>> A friend has asked me if I know the identity of the tree near her home
>> which produces a mass of cotton wool as it sheds its seeds. 'Her' tree
>> is in Bristol, but I saw a similar display at Hampton Court on
>> Saturday. Alas, I couldn't get close enough to it to see if there was
>> a label. I know it's not much information, but these trees are
>> currently shedding their white woolly seed mass. Any ideas, please?
>
> Could it be Populus nigra?

Crikey, that was quick! Yes, it certainly could. I'll tell her and, of
course, give you the credit. Great stuff! Thanks, Sacha.

Mike

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Jul 17, 2013, 1:55:38 PM7/17/13

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Don't know the name but I know the one you mean. I lived at Kingston on
Thames during the war and we had a row of them on the road down to the
river. Make a mess? .................... Yes but I thought they were great.

I wonder if they are still there.

Mike

"Spider" wrote in message news:b4o0lp...@mid.individual.net...

Sacha

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Jul 17, 2013, 4:00:28 PM7/17/13

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We had one in a former garden. It always looked very messy but in a
good way. ;-)

David Hill

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Jul 17, 2013, 6:35:42 PM7/17/13

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On 17/07/2013 18:05, Sacha wrote:

> On 2013-07-17 17:56:27 +0100, Spider said:
>
>> A friend has asked me if I know the identity of the tree near her home
>> which produces a mass of cotton wool as it sheds its seeds. 'Her'
>> tree is in Bristol, but I saw a similar display at Hampton Court on
>> Saturday. Alas, I couldn't get close enough to it to see if there
>> was a label. I know it's not much information, but these trees are
>> currently shedding their white woolly seed mass. Any ideas, please?
>
> Could it be Populus nigra?

When I was young we lived outside Hastings and had a cotton wool tree
which we always thought was a willow, now after around 60 years I find
we were wrong.

Stewart Robert Hinsley

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Jul 18, 2013, 8:39:31 AM7/18/13

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Both willows and poplars produce masses of cottony stuff, even if
poplars are perhaps more prolific.

--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Spider

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Jul 18, 2013, 8:53:22 AM7/18/13

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On 17/07/2013 23:35, David Hill wrote:

I think one of the willows may produce 'cotton wool', but I found very
confusing information on the web about it, not least because many sites
are American and the common names differ from ours. Hence my asking
here. I just knew it would help :~).

Bob Hobden

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Jul 18, 2013, 1:18:36 PM7/18/13

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"Sacha" wrote

, Spider said:

> Sacha wrote:
>> Spider said:
>>
>>> A friend has asked me if I know the identity of the tree near her home
>>> which produces a mass of cotton wool as it sheds its seeds. 'Her' tree
>>> is in Bristol, but I saw a similar display at Hampton Court on
>>> Saturday. Alas, I couldn't get close enough to it to see if there was
>>> a label. I know it's not much information, but these trees are
>>> currently shedding their white woolly seed mass. Any ideas, please?
>>
>> Could it be Populus nigra?
>
>
>
>
> Crikey, that was quick! Yes, it certainly could. I'll tell her and, of
> course, give you the credit. Great stuff! Thanks, Sacha.
>
> We had one in a former garden. It always looked very messy but in a good
> way. ;-)

Think yourself lucky it wasn't Ceiba pentandra, the Kapok Tree. Couldn't
believe the amount of stuff that blew down from that tree. But at least it's
useful.

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
Posting to this Newsgroup
from the W.of London. UK