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Denver today is proud to be an urban forest. Originally it was treeless except for only one native tree – the cottonwood. Cottonwoods lined waterways and provided Native Americans and later-comers with shade, firewood, and shelter. These tall gangly trees are named for their seed dispensed in cotton-like clusters. We still see many of them today along rivers, creeks, and gulches.
Courtesy Tom “Dr. Colorado” Noel