Frémont Cottonwood

Also known as Fremont's Cottonwood, Alamo Cottonwood, Rio Grande Cottonwood, Alamo

Frémont cottonwoods dominate low-elevation riverbanks and desert wash ecosystems across the American Southwest, where their broad canopies create essential shade and nesting habitat. In spring, female trees release dense clouds of fluffy, seed-bearing down that drift across floodplains to germinate on freshly deposited sandbars. Their triangular, bright green leaves rustle loudly in gentle breezes and turn a brilliant golden yellow each autumn.