The three cottonwood subspecies found in the U.S. and Canada are similar in some ways—such as their tendency to grow tall—and different in others, like leaf color and growing conditions.

There may be no prettier tree in Iowa than the massive cottonwood west of Hanlontown in Worth County. Around 80,000 lights hang from the branches of this massive cottonwood tree in Iowa.

Aug. 12—Q: My neighbor and I share a healthy cottonwood on our property line. It seems that all of a sudden it has started dropping some yellow leaves. Isn't it too early for the tree to start ...