Genus: Populous
Aspens, Cottonwoods, and Poplars are notorious for Fall Color and Growing Quickly.
Aspens
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Common Name: Quaking Aspen
Botanical Latin Name: Populus tremuloides Zone: 1-7 Evergreen/Deciduous: Deciduous Average Mature Size: Height: 40-50’ Width: ~24" Diameter Trunk ~10 ft Diameter with Branches Growth Rate: Fast (approx. 24” per year) Growth Habit: By Seeds & Clones Features: Stunning Fall Color, adds sound to the landscape, Beautiful Smooth bark, spreads by runners, and reclaims wildland burn scars. Bloom Time: Silvery Catkins in April/May Medicinal or Edible? Bark contains slight analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties when brewed properly into tea. Inner bark is edible but extremely bitter. Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade Approx. 4 hours Direct, Unfiltered sunlight Water Requirements: Moderate, They dislike hot soil and draught. Location: Northern and Eastern Facing Areas/Slopes Soil Type: Acidic, Loamy, Moist, Sandy, Well Drained, and Clay Planting Time: Spring Prune Time/Method: Aside from unwanted clones or branches that interfere with walkways, avoid pruning except for diseased or dead branches. Maintenance: Leaf Clean up in Fall, Small amounts of Catkin clean up in spring. May need to cut back clones in areas that the roots are spreading too (areas abundant with moisture). Common Issues: Insects (aphids), Fungal issues like Leaf Blight & Cytospora, and animal or environmental damage (heat). Fun Facts: Also named “Nut-kie-e” by the Onondagas, meaning “Noisy Leaf”. Quick growing aspen can reclaim forest burn scars to prevent further damage to the landscape (Mudslides). They create shade for baby pines, spruce, and native grasses and wildflowers to reclaim the forest floor. Holds the title for largest living organism, as they are all connected. Large stands filled with clones reproduce over large spans of terrain. One clone can have over 45,000 stems and live thousands of years! Available Sizes: Container Sizes: #1 - #25 Balled & Burlaped Caliper Sizes: 1.25" MS & SS - 3.5" SS Sources: Aspen Trees: Common Problems & What To Do - LAM Tree Service Quaking Aspen Tree on the Tree Guide at arborday.org Quaking Aspen Tree Facts - How To Grow Quaking Aspen Trees (gardeningknowhow.com) How Aspens Grow (fs.fed.us) Vitale, Alice Thoms. Leaves; in Myth, Magic, & Medicine. Stewart, Tabori, & Chang. New York. 1997. |
