With its whitish bark and bright green leaves shimmering at the slightest breeze, Quaking Aspen is an amazing tree.
It's also the most widely distributed tree species in North American, ranging from Mexico to Alaska, and it's the dominant tree species in the Western United States.
Fall foliage is a beautiful golden yellow.
Quaking Aspen needs sun and open space to thrive, yet it grows well in just about any soil, from dry and rocky to moist and wet.
Quaking Aspen is a valuable species for wildlife in all of its habitats, offering food and cover, and supporting the ecosystem.
Fun fact: The organism with the most mass in the world is the 12-thousand (or so)-year-old root system of a Quaking Aspen, covering more than 100 acres in Utah. New shoots are constantly sprouting and growing into trees, all clones of this one individual.
Photo of catkins, Matt Lavin; Photo of Aspens in grassy woods taken in Zion National Park.
Quaking Aspen
- Latin: Populus tremuloides
- Pollinator value: Very High, native bees and butterflies, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail larval host
- Heigh: 50 to 60 feet
- Light: Sun
- Soil: Wet to very dry
- Bloom: Spring Catkins
- Foliage: Bright green, triangular; golden yellow fall
- Landscape: Sunny spots, wet or dry
- Resistance: n/a
- Native range here