On 17/07/2013 23:35, David Hill wrote:
On 17/07/2013 18:05, Sacha wrote:
On 2013-07-17 17:56:27 +0100, Spider said:

A friend has asked me if I know the identity of the tree near her home
which produces a mass of cotton wool as it sheds its seeds. 'Her'
tree is in Bristol, but I saw a similar display at Hampton Court on
Saturday. Alas, I couldn't get close enough to it to see if there
was a label. I know it's not much information, but these trees are
currently shedding their white woolly seed mass. Any ideas, please?

Could it be Populus nigra?

When I was young we lived outside Hastings and had a cotton wool tree
which we always thought was a willow, now after around 60 years I find
we were wrong.

Both willows and poplars produce masses of cottony stuff, even if
poplars are perhaps more prolific.

--
Stewart Robert Hinsley