← Bedfellow

Quaking Aspen

Populus tremuloides

The most widespread tree in North America, famed for white bark and fluttering leaves that turn the mountainsides gold in fall. A single clonal grove can be among the largest organisms on Earth. The inner bark and spring sap are traditional famine foods, dried into flour or drunk fresh; both contain aspirin-like salicylates, so those with ulcers should avoid them.

Family

Salicaceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

20–50 ft

Spacing

10–30 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade, shade

Soil moisture

dry, moist

Soil pH

acidic, neutral, alkaline

Bloom

March, April, May, June

Bloom colors

yellow, green, brown

Wildlife value

songbirds, butterflies, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~367 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

specimen, erosion control

Native states

AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, IA, ID, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SD, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY