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Quaking Aspen

Populus tremula

Quaking Aspen is known for its leaves that flutter in the breeze! This tree has white bark and grows tall and straight.

Habitat: Forests and hillsides

Appearance

The Quaking Aspen has smooth, pale greenish-white bark, often marked with dark scars. Its small, rounded leaves, attached by flattened petioles, shimmer and "quake" distinctively in the slightest breeze, creating a beautiful silver-green display.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderMalpighialesFamilySalicaceaeGenusPopulus

Quaking Aspen

Interesting facts

After a wildfire, aspens often emerge first, helping restore life to the scorched land!

Aspen groves can be one of the largest and heaviest living things on Earth!

The 'quaking' sound of their leaves has earned them many nicknames, like 'whispering giant'.

Their white bark uses chlorophyll to make food, even in winter when leaves are gone.

Special abilities

Quaking Aspen can form vast underground networks, allowing hundreds of genetically identical trees to sprout from one root system.

Quaking Aspen has flattened leaf stems that make its leaves tremble, helping it efficiently capture sunlight and cool itself.

Quaking Aspen can rapidly resprout from its root system after devastating forest fires, quickly reclaiming burnt landscapes.

Measurements & details

Height: 15-30 m
Canopy Spread: 5-10 m
Is Edible: Yes
Trunk Diameter: 30-60 cm
Lifespan: 60-150 years
Fruit Type: Capsule
Growth Rate: Medium
Leaf Type: Deciduous

Ecological connections

eaten by

Elk

Cervus canadensis

Elk browse on aspen leaves and twigs.

eats

American Beaver

Castor canadensis

Beavers fell aspens for food and dam building.

eaten by

Moose

Alces alces

Moose heavily browse on aspen saplings and branches.

eats

Ruffed Grouse

Bonasa umbellus

Ruffed Grouse eat aspen buds in winter.

Traits

Deciduous

Discover the magic of plants that shed all their leaves during a particular season, often putting on a spectacular show of fall colors first. They get ready for a fresh start!

Shade Tolerant

Discover plants that love to live in the shadows, growing beautifully and happily even in spots where the sun doesn't shine all day long.

Broadleaf Tree

Discover magnificent trees that have wide, flat leaves, unlike the needles of pine trees! These are often the trees that change colors beautifully in autumn.