Also known as the quaking aspen, its name comes from its leaves. While most tree species have round petioles or stems, the trembling aspen’s are square (a biological mystery), and this is what makes for the great fluttering performances. The only other tree family I can hear, so to speak, is pine - the sound of the wind through their needles reminds me of being on a beach. Who needs to identify trees by sight, am I right? Just listen and some will tell you everything you need to know.
The tree is a great food source for a variety of animals including deer, beavers, moose, chipmunks, rabbits, ruffed grouse, and other songbirds. The bark was traditionally ground and added to other starches for cooking. And while there once was a time when they were thought to have little value in the timber industry, aspens are now used widely for pulp, pallets, and furniture.
The aspen is an early successional species – meaning that when there is fire or other disturbance, it is one of the first species to pop its head out of the ground and get growing. But it is not for everyone. This species tends to spread aggressively and sends out shoots from its roots. These trees often grow in large groups called thickets. While there may appear to be hundreds of individuals growing closely together, in truth it may just be a single tree, connected underneath your feet!
In Utah, there is a 43 hectare trembling aspen called Pando. It is a thicket of 40,000 trunks, and at 80,000 years old it is the oldest living organism on earth. These trunks are all root shoots from one original tree and with each shoot living an average age of 130 years, I’d say Pando is doing pretty well for itself. But not every aspen will reach such golden years.
The trembling aspen is being added to the Backyard Tree Planting Program’s list of offerings for 2014 as it offers biodiversity. With the right care, this tree can establish itself more quickly than any other we currently offer, giving an option for those homeowners in search of fast-growing privacy screens. The trembling aspen also has a narrow spread and does not grow as tall as some other native tree species.
Think you’d love the dappled shade of one of these beauties in your yard? Make sure you’re prepared to run over some root shoots with your lawn mower on a regular basis to ensure you don’t end up with a Pando of your very own. Up for the challenge? Then plant one this spring! Contact us to book a consultation with one of our arborists.
Join me next month when we explore what was once the most beloved tree species of all time, until they all died off…
Andrea Bake is a former Field Operations Supervisor with LEAF and currently works as a Forest Data Collector with the City of Toronto. The Backyard Tree Planting Program is supported by Ontario Power Generation, York Region, Ontario Trillium Foundation, The City of Markham, and Toronto Hydro.