I visited the Gilcrease Museum here in Tulsa earlier this week. They have a lot of nice exhibits going on but what really struck my eye was a great big cottonwood tree right outside a giant window that was shimmering in the wind so I made a brief video of it and posted it on social media.
A cousin from South Dakota told me that she thought the Lakota Tribe called the cottonwood, the Tree of Talking Leaves. I have googled a lot and have not been able to confirm that that is true but have found a lot of references that the tribe holds the tree sacred and represents a magical time of hope, healing, and transformation.
I have always liked cottonwood trees but never much thought about them until my cousin’s remark and then I thought, you know I have lived all over the west, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico and they all have cottonwood trees. I think they may be a symbol of the west, where the west includes the midwest. I just love seeing and hearing their leaves when the wind is blowing.
Late in life, the Cottonwood is now the Talking Leaves Tree to me as well.
They sing a wonderful song.
Cottonwoods are found in Montana especially along streambeds and rivers. For this reason, when they get really tall, they are a favorite roosting tree for eagles and ospreys. I love the cotton fluff that drifts down from them, often traveling for miles on the wind!
First house had a huge cottonwood in the front yard. It was perfect to tie a tire for the kids to swing on. It gave great shade and kept the house cool in summer. In spring it put out tassels and shells. The shells are sticky and stick to your shoe to walk into the house. The tassels drove me crazy. For about six weeks my hay fever made me feel like I had the flu. My wife is allergic to the cotton and in Albuquerque it flies everywhere. The house we live in now doesn’t have a cotton wood and my hay fever is not a problem.
We had a huge cottonwood in front of our Denver house. It was hit by lightning and had to be removed. I think the old cottonwoods in Denver are protected unless they sustain damage. People can’t just decide they don’t want them anymore and cut them down.
Beautiful cottonwood trees.
I love the melody of the leaves!
nice trees
“Tree of Talking Leaves” is a very fitting name. We get them in our S CA deserts (if there is a water source nearby). They produce beautiful fall colors. Have a nice weekend!
Cottonwoods bring back fond memories of my sleepaway camp in New Jersey, and picking the fluff out of the ground. They bring back memories of Wichita. And they are here, too, where I live in upstate New York, near water. What a tree!
No wonder they thought that the tree of talking leaves was a healing tree, maybe it had a lot to say.
They turn a pretty yellow in the Fall too!
A great combination, trees and bright blue skies. Great to see always.