Lance Leaf Cottonwood - Populus x acuminata
Ready Pay Gulch
East of Hillsboro
New Mexico, USA
Populus x acuminata is a hybrid between Populus deltoides and Populus angustifolia. Its leaves have a shape which is in between the narrow shape of the P. angustifolia and the cordate shape (heart-shaped) of P. deltoides.
We found this specimen growing in one of the washes of Ready Pay Gulch east of Hillsboro. The rock appears to be limestone. This is a rather strange place for a cottonwood to be growing. They are “survivors” but most of the time this is a very dry place.
The range of this hybrid is shown in the BONAP map to the right, light green indicates that it is native to and not rare within the county indicated. P. angustifolia is a western species while P. deltoides is found in much of the United States. At one time Lance Leaf Cottonwood was considered a full species and not a hybrid.
