Unique Features: The Plains Cottonwood is a male clone so there’s no cotton fluff to deal with.  The Plains Cottonwood is the variety native to our area. Cottonwoods use a lot of water to maintain their rapid growth rate and to support this they have a very aggressive root system that can cause damage.  Cottonwoods also have softer relatively weak wood and can drop large branches.  The right planting site is important in order to prevent problems.  Giving the cottonwoods the water and space they need will improve their ability to deal with the native pests and diseases that can cause them problems.  The Plains cottonwoods can live for up to 100 years, much longer than their high altitude cousins the Quaking aspens.