C) Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoids)
This large tree is native to North America, growing from the East coast to the southwest and from Canada to Mexico. It grows 67-130 feet tall and can be up to 6 feet in diameter. The leaves are large, broad, and triangular with jagged edges running up the sides. They have flat stems which causes the slightest breeze to shake them in the trees. The turn a bright yellow in the fall as the temperature becomes cooler and it dries out.
Cottonwoods grow best in bare soil and full sun. They prefer to be where they are near water or damp soil. Their seeds are white and fluffy giving them their names. These seed germinate best along river banks, sandbars, and islands.