Cottonwood bark

**Arron** · 19th November 2016, 01:52 PM

Has anyone tried to source cottonwood bark in Australia ?
Any success ?

For those who don't know, cottonwood bark is a big thing in the US for rustic carving. Image of some pieces for sale on ebay (US) is attached.

The bark is apparently quite sound and carvable. Never seen it myself but that's what I read.

Doing some research, it can be a bit confusing to work out exactly what trees the cottonwood bark is sourced from, but it seems its several of the thirty or so species in the genus Populus (true poplars, aspens and cottonwoods). What makes it confusing is there are many, many alternative common names for all the species in this genus, and many redundant Latin synonyms.

Anyway, one tree used is the Eastern cottonwood, Populus deltoides, but specifically the central/western subspecies which often goes by the synonym Populus sargentii. The other is the balsam poplar, Populus balsamifera. What these two species have in common is both have thin, smooth bark when young which becomes very deep and fissured when old. Apparently most of the other species in the genus don't have this characteristic.

Wikipaedia tells me that balsam poplar grows in very cold regions of Canada/Alaska so I don't think its likely to grow in Australia, but deltoides is commonly grown here. Its usually a farm tree on riverflats, there is lots on private property around the Windsor, Wisemans Ferry area in NSW. There is also a rather remote plantation on the Colo River.

Anyone got a cottonwood/poplar tree in their back yard ?

cheers
Arron

cottonwood.jpg

**issatree** · 19th November 2016, 11:59 PM

Hi Arron,
There is a whole Avenue of those Cottonwood Poplars in my old home town of Terang, Vic. P/C 3264. They are all included in the National Trust.
They were there when we were just Children, but don't look to good at present, as they wood have to be 90+ years old.
One tree fell over many years ago, & I cut it up for fire wood.
Took some home with me to turn, & it was great.
That's about all I can tell you.

**Robson Valley** · 20th November 2016, 04:08 AM

The money-maker in my part of the world is the Black Cottonwood aka Western Balsam Poplar, correctly known as Populus trichocarpa.
Very large tree found along river bottoms on wet ground. The trees with the broken dead tops have the thickest bark.
It carves a lot like you might expect from cork without the waxy elastic character. Several locals here are avid users.
Portraits, ornaments, whimsical figures and elf houses among other things. I tried it. Didn't like it much.

Western Can. Cottonwood Bark

**Mike the knife** · 22nd November 2016, 02:11 AM

I remember in a discussion on knives on the web that it is gritty & plays havoc with the edges.

**Robson Valley** · 22nd November 2016, 04:41 AM

Oh, yeah. Bad here with the continual frosting of mountain rock dust all year long.
The deal is to shave off the outer 1/4" of grey/weathered surface before carving.
Western Red Cedar posts & shake blocks, birch planks, anything left out in the open for
a year or more gets a good wash and a peel in my shop.

Inside cottonwood bark varies from a corky color to a medium brown. Mostly the brown here, that source
site away west of me gets a lot of tan.

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