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River's Park Edge and its partners are pleased to offer all visitors a fun, educational challenge to locate ecological clues thoughout the park.
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Cottonwood trees
Cottonwood trees are the largest and fastest growing trees in the Pottawattamie County area and Iowa. Cottonwoods love to grow in Iowa because they require wet mesic soil, which is abundant near the Missouri River.
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River's Park Edge is home to many points of interest. But if you found this information interesting, keep seeking out more clues.
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Young cottonwoods can grow up to 6 feet in just one year!
Cottonwoods can live to be 80 to 100 years old and can grow to more than 100 feet tall. While these trees can grow to be very large, their extremely weak branches are not very durable. The cottonwood gets its name from the tufted, cotton-like seeds it produces inside the fruit of the tree.
Learn more about these gentle giants from the experts at Iowa State.