I forgot exactly how fast it was growing earlier, it actually grows a half a inch a day but now it is in a "drought dormancy" because I have not watered in a while so it is currently not growing, and it has also lost some bottom leaves and has formed a temporary bud to conserve water because of the drought. If I water it some more it should come out of it. You can see we have the worst drought in the U.S. here in the southeast which we have had since spring And I over estimated its height, it is actually just over 4 feet tall. We have about 30 more days of growing season left before trees will start to go dormant for winter. So if I keep it watered it should reach over 5 feet by autumn. Eastern cottonwood trees have been known to grow 1.5 inches a day and maybe even 2 inches a day in superb conditions during the heat of the summer. They have been know to grow 16 feet in one year or one growing season. It has no branches yet but it should by next year. This cottonwood is a female and that's why I planted it in the woods where it will be great to view the yearly "snow" :) I'm planning on getting some cuttings of a old huge male cottonwood tree this spring to plant next to our yard in a tilled and mulched area 10 feet wide. It's going to be planted 40 feet out to give room for the huge burst of growth :-D so we can have a quick shade tree in 5 to 10 years in our barren yard plus many other tree types I'm going to plant in the yard from oaks to maples. How it currently looks today: Some of the leaves were huge, a couple of them were 12 inches long. Temporary bud it has formed because of the drought:

Yep, powdery mildew and Liriodendron is fairly susceptible to tbis disease if the conditions are right. It tends to show up when temperatures begin to cool down, but the air is still humid. Warm days and cool nights are perfect for PM. This fungus does not need sitting water on the leaves in order to germinate, contrary to what many people believe....just humidity. As a matter of fact, spraying the foliage with plain water can be the simplest control, if caught early enough. Water kills PM spores. That's all I've ever used, as long as I spot it soon enough. At this time, don't worry about it; your tree is about to lose its leaves for the winter. I would absolutely treat the bare twigs with horticultural oil in the spring...just before the swollen buds begin to break. The potting medium must be one that is very porous, fast draining. Woody plants do best when grown in a bark based mix. The typical houseplant medium is not the best option for a woody plant. The location should be sunny and in an area of good air circulation. Avoid excess fertilization. There are many good options for prevention......plain water sprays, insecticidal soap, and neem are great preventative solutions. Some people recommend milk sprays or baking soda but be sure to research the mixing rates. Should you not be able to keep it rinsed away and infection occurs, Neem oil can cure a mild infection. Lots and lots of good information about this disease on line. Do some reading and you'll feel more confidant. It's not a mildew, per se, but a true fungal disorder. In ground trees can get it, too, if the conditions are right. PM spores travel in the wind. Check around to see if there are any other infected tulip poplars around just out of curiosity.

because the poplar family are light wooded... weak wooded... rather short lived trees [in tree years] ... made for forests, prairies, parks and golf courses ... where no one cares when they do this ... and at the size you note your has good age ... probably not as old as you might think based on there rather fast annual growth ... the problem i read into what you presented.. is that they might not be your trees .... since you say they are next to your lawn ... if they are yours.. you need an onsite inspection by a CERTIFIED arborist ... to decide if these things are safe.. or past their prime ... it might be time for them to go.. if they are threatening any structures.. or you ... otherwise... get used to this happening .... it might behoove us to get a proper ID on them ... ken

Where I live is covered up with tulips, and those that escape the loggers can get very tall. The branches are brittle, summer thunderstorms usually bring down limbs, but the trees themselves are very wind firm. I don't think I've ever seen one uprooted. The trees are rapid growing even into old age, trees that have lost their tops replace them rapidly. But crowns that have been removed by man or nature still tend to be poorly attached and may continue to suffer from storm damage. Why temp fate? If you are worried about the trees maybe have them removed, topping is NEVER a good thing.