Described herein are plants, plant seeds, and plants cells that are modified to express particular types of cellulose synthase enzymes (but not CesA3, CesA9, or CesA7 enzymes). Such plants, plant seeds and plant cells can be cotton, flax, hemp, jute, sisal, poplar, or eucalyptus plants, plant seeds or plant cells. The modified plants tend to grow taller, have increased cellulose synthesis, have more crystalline cellulose, have wider secondary cell walls, increased biomass, and increased mechanical strength than in a control plant without the expression cassette (e.g., a wild type or parental plant without the expression cassette).