Cottonwood
Cottonwood is the state tree of Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming.
Main Uses
Furniture, furniture parts, millwork and mouldings, toys and kitchen
utensils. Specialized uses are Venetian blinds, shutters, and caskets.
Relative Abundance
Together, aspen, basswood, cottonwood, elm, gum, hackberry, sassafras,
sycamore and willow represent 12.5 percent of commercially available
U.S. hardwoods.
General Description
The sapwood is white and may contain brown streaks while the heartwood
may be pale to light brown. It is a diffuse porous wood with a coarse
texture. The wood is generally straight-grained and contains relatively
few defects. Cottonwood is a true poplar, and therefore has similar
characteristics and properties to aspen.
Working Properties
General machinability is fair, although tension wood is frequently
present and can cause a fuzzy surface when cut, which in turn will
require additional care when finishing. The wood glues well and has good
resistance to splitting when nailing and screwing. It dries easily but
may still have a tendency to warp, with slight movement in performance.
Physical Properties
Cottonwood is relatively light in weight. The wood is soft, weak in
bending and compression, and low in shock resistance. It has no odor or
taste when dry.
Availability
Widely available.
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