Snow? In June?
You wouldn’t think so, but my photos show a different story. Actually what you have probably already surmised is that you are seeing “cotton” from all of the cottonwood trees along our creek.
I wondered about whether or not to write a post a about this. But after walking down to the creek twice a day for the past week while irrigating I decided that this is one of the things that makes our farm unique. Not many people get to walk into this hidden world of white and green on a daily basis.
Is Cottonwood “Cotton” Pretty Or Annoying?
I guess the answer to that is in the eye of the beholder. I honestly find the cotton to be kind of annoying. We love the evening breezes and fresh air on our farm, so the windows are always open. But with “cotton” blowing in the wind this means that we have it stuck to our screens.
Really, the only time that I find it attractive is when I walk down to the creek and see it lining banks and settled on top of the water in the places that aren’t flowing that fast. It can be like enjoying a freshly fallen snow without the cold.
Should We Be Proud?
Well, it turns out that the largest concentrations of Cottonwood trees in the United States happen to be in the Intermountain West. So, they are something unique to us, and they are probably the trees that got Boise its name. I would assume that when those French explorers came over the hill, looked down on the Boise River and exclaimeded “Le Bois!”, they were probably seeing cottonwood trees.
What About Allergies?
I actually researched this a bit for this post. Allergy experts say that cottonwood trees only irritate people’s allergies in the stage before the cotton starts falling. I know, I figured that when it is “snowing in June” that people with allergies must really be suffering.
And, I don’t want to tick anyone off here, but the allergy experts say that the allergic reaction to cottonwood trees is generally pretty mild. Easy for them to say, right?
These trees grow fast and tall, but they only live about 50 years. What they lack in length of life, they make up for in the ability to propagate. Cottonwood seeds can float as far away as five miles, giving each individual tree the ability to find suitable habitat to start another 50 year legacy somewhere within a roughly 75 square mile area (doing the area equation in my head only).
Is Oregon To Blame?
My experience in the Treasure Valley of Idaho is that the prevailing winds are almost always from the northwest. So, if we have so many cottonwoods here, and if they spread by blowing on the breeze, they must come from Oregon. Oregon is the last stop before you hit the Pacific Ocean, and there aren’t many cottonwoods out there that can have their seed blown east.
So, you may hate them, you may love them or you may never think of them and wonder why I have spent so much time writing about them. Well, they are unique to our region of the world, and they provide a one of a kind experience on our farm. I’ve decided to embrace this phenomena as part of the idyllic experience of living and farming in the West.