Quercus

Eastern Cottonwood

Populus deltoides

Native to South Carolina (estimated)

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

190CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including SC

Genus host records with ranges including SC · Populus

  • Limenitis archippusViceroy
  • Limenitis arthemisRed-spotted Purple
  • Nymphalis antiopaMourning Cloak
  • Papilio glaucusEastern Tiger Swallowtail
  • Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
  • Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
  • Acronicta funeralisFunerary Dagger, Paddle Caterpillar
  • Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
  • Acronicta innotataUnmarked Dagger
  • Acronicta insularisHenry's Marsh Moth, Cattail Caterpillar
Show all 190
  • Acronicta lepusculinaCottonwood Dagger
  • Acronicta longaLong-Winged Dagger, Darkish Dagger
  • Acronicta noctivagaNight-Wandering Dagger, Burglar Dagger
  • Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
  • Actias lunaLuna Moth
  • Aethalura intertextaFour-Barred Gray
  • Agonopterix argillaceaClay-Colored Agonopterix
  • Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
  • Americerura scitiscriptaBlack-Etched Prominent
  • Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
  • Amphipyra glabellaSmooth Amphipyra
  • Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
  • Anathix rallaDotted Sallow
  • Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
  • Antaeotricha leucillanaWell-Marked Leaf Tier, Pale Gray Bird-Dropping Moth
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
  • Archips purpuranaOmnivorous Leafroller Moth
  • Argyrotaenia marianaGray-Banded Leafroller Moth
  • Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Besma quercivorariaOak Besma
  • Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
  • Cabera erythemariaYellow-Dusted Cream Moth
  • Cabera variolariaPink-Striped Willow Spanworm Moth, Vestal Moth, The Vestal
  • Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
  • Caloptilia stigmatellaPoplar Caloptilia
  • Campaea perlataPale Beauty, Fringed Looper
  • Catocala amatrixThe Sweetheart, Sweetheart Underwing
  • Catocala blandulaCharming Underwing
  • Catocala carissimaCarissima Underwing Moth, Southern Darling Underwing
  • Catocala cerogamaYellow-Banded Underwing
  • Catocala concumbensSleepy Underwing, Pink Underwing
  • Catocala marmorataMarbled Underwing
  • Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
  • Celypha nr.Celypha Moth
  • Cenopis pettitanaMaple-Basswood Leafroller Moth
  • Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
  • Chaetaglaea sericeaSilky Sallow
  • Charadra deridensThe Laugher
  • Chlosyne nycteisSilvery Checkerspot
  • Choristoneura conflictanaLarge Aspen Tortrix
  • Choristoneura fumiferanaSpruce Budworm Moth
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • Clostera inclusaAngle-Lined Prominent, Poplar Tent Maker, Poplar Leaf-Tier
  • Coelodasys apicalisPlain Schizura
  • Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
  • Colocasia propinquilineaClosebanded Yellowhorn
  • Condylorrhiza vestigialisThe Alamo Moth
  • Crocigrapha normaniNorman's Quaker
  • Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
  • Dichomeris ligulellaPalmerworm
  • Drepana arcuataArched Hooktip, Masked Birch Caterpillar
  • Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
  • Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
  • Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
  • Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
  • Epimecis hortariaTulip-Tree Beauty
  • Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
  • Euchlaena deductariaForked Euchlaena
  • Euchlaena irrariaLeast-Marked Euchlaena
  • Euchlaena tigrinariaMotted Euchlaena
  • Eucirroedia pampinaScalloped Sallow
  • Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
  • Eupsilia deviaLost Sallow
  • Eupsilia sidusSidus Sallow
  • Eupsilia tristigmataThree-Spotted Sallow, Brown Fruitworm
  • Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
  • Euzophera semifuneralisAmerican Plum Borer
  • Fishia illocataWandering Brocade
  • Furcula cinereaGray Furcula
  • Gesta icelusDreamy Duskywing
  • Glena cribratariaDotted Gray
  • Gluphisia septentrionisCommon Gluphisia
  • Gypsonoma haimbachianaCottonwood Twig Borer
  • Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
  • Haploa contiguaThe Neighbor
  • Haploa leconteiLeconte's Haploa
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
  • Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Iridopsis defectariaBrown-Shaded Gray, Willow Looper
  • Iridopsis larvariaBent-Line Gray
  • Kocakina fidelisIntractable Quaker, Green Fruitworm, Fourlined Green Fruitworm
  • Lacinipolia renigeraBristly Ground Cat, Bristly Cutworm Moth, Kidney Spotted "Mamestra"
  • Lambdina fiscellariaHemlock Looper, Western Oak Looper
  • Lithophane antennataAshen Pinion
  • Lithophane bethuneiBethune's Pinion
  • Lithophane groteiGrote's Pinion, Green Fruit Worm
  • Lithophane innominataNameless Pinion
  • Lithophane petulcaWanton Pinion
  • Lithophane unimodaDowdy Pinion
  • Lomographa semiclarataBluish Spring Moth, Wildcherry Looper
  • Lycia ypsilonWoolly Gray
  • Macrurocampa marthesiaMottled Prominent
  • Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
  • Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
  • Megalopyge crispataBlack-Waved Flannel Moth, Crinkled Flannel Moth
  • Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
  • Melanolophia signatariaSignate Melanolphia
  • Meroptera cviatellaPoplar Bud Borer
  • Metanema inatomariaPale Metanema
  • Metarranthis duariaRuddy Metarranthis
  • Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
  • Nadata gibbosaWhite-Dotted Prominent
  • Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
  • Nycteola metaspilellaSienna-Dotted Nycteola, Forgotten Frigid Owlet
  • Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
  • Oedemasia leptinoidesBlack-Blotched Schizura
  • Oedemasia semirufescensRed-Washed Prominent
  • Olethreutes fasciatanaBanded Olethreutes
  • Orgyia definitaDefinite Tussock Moth
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
  • Orthosia revictaSubdued Quaker
  • Orthosia rubescensRuby Quaker
  • Orthotaenia undulanaDusky Leafroller
  • Pachysphinx modestaModest Sphinx, The Big Poplar Sphinx
  • Paleacrita vernataSpring Cankerworm Moth
  • Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
  • Pandemis lamprosanaWoodgrain Leafroller
  • Pandemis limitataThree-Lined Leafroller Moth
  • Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
  • Paonias myopsSmall-Eyed Sphinx
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Papilio cresphontesEastern Giant Swallowtail
  • Paranthrene dolliiPoplar Borer
  • Paranthrene tabaniformisDusky Clearwing
  • Parasa chlorisSmaller Parasa, Green Slug Moth
  • Parasa indeterminaStinging Rose Caterpillar Moth, Rose Slug Caterpillar
  • Parastichtis suspectaThe Suspected
  • Pero morrisonariaMorrison's Pero
  • Phaeoura quernariaOak Beauty Moth
  • Phigalia titeaThe Half-Wing Geometer, Spiney Looper, Eastern Oak Looper
  • Phobetron pitheciumHag Moth, Monkey Slug
  • Plagodis alcoolariaHollow-Spotted Plagodis
  • Plagodis phlogosariaStraight-Lined Plagodis
  • Plagodis pulverariaAmerican Barred Umber, Barred Umber
  • Plagodis serinariaLemon Plagodis
  • Pococera aplastellaAspen Webworm Moth
  • Pococera asperatellaMaple Webworm
  • Polygonia interrogationisQuestion Mark
  • Prionoxystus robiniaeCarpenterworm Moth, Black Locust Borer, Cottonwood Borer
  • Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
  • Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
  • Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
  • Protitame virginalisVirgin Moth
  • Protoboarmia porcelariaPorcelain Gray, Dashedlined Looper
  • Pseudothyatira cymatophoroidesTufted Thyatirid
  • Psilocorsis quercicellaOak Leaftier
  • Psilocorsis reflexellaDotted Leaftier Moth
  • Pyromorpha dimidiataOrange-Patched Smoky Moth
  • Pyrrhia ciliscaAmerican Bordered Sallow, Noble Sun Moth
  • Pyrrhia exprimensPurple-Lined Sallow, Purple-Lined Sun Moth
  • Raphia fraterThe Brother, Yellow-Marked Caterpillar
  • Rheumaptera prunivorataFerguson's Scallop Shell, Cherry Scallop Shell
  • Satyrium liparopsStriped Hairstreak
  • Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
  • Scoliopteryx libatrixThe Herald
  • Selenia kentariaKent's Geometer
  • Smerinthus jamaicensisTwin-Spotted Sphinx
  • Sphinx kalmiaeFawn Sphinx, Laurel Sphinx
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
  • Sunira bicoloragoBicolored Sallow
  • Synanthedon acerrubriRed Maple Borer, Maple Clearwing
  • Taniva albolineanaSpruce Needleminer Moth
  • Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Tolype velledaLarge Tolype, Large Lappet Moth, Vellada Lappet Moth
  • Xanthotype sospetaCrocus Geometer
  • Xystopeplus rufagoRed-Winged Sallow
  • Zale minereaColorful Zale
  • Zanclognatha marcidilineaYellowish Fan-Foot
  • Anania extricalis
  • Coleophora sacramenta
  • Dichomeris ventrellus
  • Framinghamia helvalis
  • Rhopobota finitimana
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
0BeesSoutheastern regional records
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
9BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Populus

  • Alectoris chukarChukar
  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
  • Dendragapus obscurusDusky Grouse
  • Falcipennis canadensisSpruce Grouse
  • Lagopus lagopusWillow Ptarmigan
  • Lagopus mutaRock Ptarmigan
  • Pheucticus ludovicianusRose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Tympanuchus phasianellusSharp-tailed Grouse
  • Zenaida asiaticaWhite-winged Dove
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Salicaceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Yellow, green or red
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Single stem
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Spring
Fruit ends
Spring

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Eastern Cottonwood

Conservation status

South Carolina rankNot available
Global rankG5
SC statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

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