What tree is this?

Question

I can't identify the tree that fell down over my yard. It was about about 50 feet high, with a very straight trunk with no branches remaining for the first 25 feet.

Its "fruit" looks like long strings of grapes, 4 or 5 inches long, 2 or 3 at each level, except they are less than half the size of actual grapes, they are hard, pointy at the unattached end, with a tiny bit of red-colored stuff at that end.

When they split open, they let out stuff that's lighter and finer than cotton, looks a bit like cotton, but they float. It looks even more like milkweed when it's floating along, except milkweed has a big seed. This has a really small one.

Any guess what this is?

Regardless, I realize now that this is the stuff that clogs the screens on my soffits. I have a roof fan that runs up to 12 hours a day on really hot days, and every 5 years or so, I have had to remove a layer that is something like felt, or what you take out of your dryer lint trap. Now that this tree is dead, I doubt I'll have to do that. There may be another such tree, but I think it is far away.

Thanks.

Pavel314 · Accepted Answer

Sounds like a cottonwood tree.

dpb · Answer

... Cottonwood... Do a google images search for cottonwood tree seed

Danny D · Answer

Why not post a picture? It would be easier on the respondents.

micky · Answer

You're right.  Thank you both, dp and Pavel.

Unquestionably Confused · Answer

But wouldn't that spoil the fun?

micky · Answer

If no one had identified it by the description, I would have decided which was less effort, to post a picture** or to take a branch of the stuff to a garden shop about 10 miles away.

Yeah, but when they get it right from only a description, I'll bet they feel better than when someone makes it easy.

**Get the camera, take the picture, find the cord to connect the camera to the computer, copy the picture to the computer, ***find a picture hosting site, sign up, upload, copy url.

Oh, with a phone: Turn on the Android phone, wait until it turns on, my phone exits Camera 2 seconds after each picture, but assume that didn't happen, take the pictures, move them to the computer without signing up for gmail (I've done it once but I already forget how) then continue at t he *** in the previous paragraph. I assume phone pictures are far lower in quality than even a moderately priced camera's pictures.

clare · Answer

Cottonwood????

micky · Answer

And if I got the answer at a garden shop, I would have posted it here. Yes, Clare.  Thanks.

samjohnsonus · Answer

Then you should provide more details or information for identification.

What tree is this?

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