How long does it take a aspen tree to grow?
This tree grows at a fast rate, with height increases of more than 24" per year.
How do you start aspen trees?
The easiest method of starting young aspen trees is vegetative propagation by means of root cuttings. Aspens do all the work for you, producing young plants from its roots. To “harvest” these saplings, you cut off the root suckers, dig them out and transplant them.
What do aspen trees need to grow?
It grows best where soils are moist and sunshine is plentiful. Aspen is intolerant of shade, and does not compete well with more shade-tolerant conifer species. Quaking aspen is an aggressive pioneer species. It readily colonizes burned areas and can persist even when subjected to frequent fires.
Where do aspen trees grow best?
However, aspen in Utah is native to elevations above about 6,000 feet, while we commonly plant them at lower elevations where most of us live. They are not well adapted to the hotter, dryer conditions in those low elevation sites, and they also do not like the high pH, compacted soils found on those sites.
Can you start an aspen tree from a branch?
In the same family as willows, aspen grows readily from cuttings. To get good material for these cuttings, root cuttings are first taken. In late winter or early spring, expose roots on mature trees and remove sections that are 1-3cm in diameter.
Can you grow aspen cuttings?
Plant the cuttings deeply (two thirds of each cutting below ground) into well drained soil or compost, and do not allow to dry out. The cuttings can produce strong new shoots throughout spring and summer and can be large enough to plant out after one growing season.
What kills aspen trees?
The right way to remove aspen is to kill the tree and the root system with an herbicide and cut it down after it is dead. To kill aspens apply the herbicide Roundup to the base of the trunk. Drill a series of holes into the trunk at a 45 degree angle and fill the holes with concentrated herbicide.
Should I plant aspen trees in my yard?
It is too hot, too dry, and the soil pH is too high. These conditions will only shorten their life even more, while opening them up to the susceptibility of diseases and insects. I would not recommend planting an aspen in your yard.
How do you take care of an aspen tree?
Be sure to monitor your soil's moisture level to ensure your aspens have enough water. You may also need to water aspens in winter (when there's no snow on the ground) to keep them hydrated. Also spread mulch on the soil around trees to retain soil moisture; just be sure to keep mulch away from trees' trunks.
What do aspen trees symbolize?
Of old the aspen was a tree of heroes, whose crowns of trembling leaves gave them the power not only to visit the Underworld, but also to return safely. Similarly, the aspen crowns people placed in ancient burial mounds may have been to allow the spirits of the deceased to return to be reborn.
Are aspen leaves poisonous?
Populus tremuloides - Michx. Possible toxic effects due to salicylates (e.g. heartburn, tinnitus). Avoid with ulcers, stomach or peptic ulcers [301].
How long do aspen trees last?
The lifespan of quaking aspens is unique. Individual quaking aspen stems usually live for about 50 to 60 years, sometimes up to 150 years in the West. However, in many cases, each tree is actually part of a much larger organism, since multiple stems can sprout from the same root system.
How do you grow an aspen tree from seed?
Separate the seeds from the white down. The seeds should be sown immediately and very thinly on the surface of moist compost and kept shaded from strong sun, protected from rain, and misted with a hand-mister. Germination is likely to occur within a few days of sowing.
When should you plant aspen trees?
Quaking aspen isn't the best tree for every landscape, but, if you wish to grow it, the best time to plant one is spring, after the last frost date in your area.
What is the difference between an aspen and a quaking aspen?
As the name suggests, bigtooth aspen has large, coarse irregular (dentate) shaped teeth along the margin of its heart-shaped (deltoid) leaves. Quaking aspen has smaller heart-shaped to circular (orbicular) leaves with fine (serrate) teeth on the edges.
Are there male and female aspen trees?
Aspen are dioecious, meaning each tree will develop either all male flowers or all female flowers. The male flowers will bloom first. After the flowers develop, they release their pollen and fall to the ground. Trees with female flowers will be pollinated and continue to develop.
Where are aspen trees found?
The southern-most aspen are found in central Mexico. Photo by J. Higginson.
Where does aspen grow?
It occurs across Canada, through the United States, to Mexico, in a variety of habitats. In the western United States, aspen is generally found at 5,000 to 12,000 feet elevation. Aspen occurs in extensive pure stands in some areas, while in others, it is a minor component of the forest landscape.
How long do sucker aspens live?
The leaves of young sucker aspens may be much larger, sometimes 7 to 8 inches long. Aspen trees usually do not live more than 150 years, though they may persist more than 200 years. It grows on many soil types, especially sandy and gravelly slopes, and is quick to pioneer disturbed sites where there is bare soil.
How do aspen trees reproduce?
Aspen reproduces both by seeds and by root sprouts , though sprouting is the most common and successful form of reproduction. Aspen produces small flowers, on catkins that are 1-2 inches long. These flowers are produced in the early spring before the leaves grow on the trees.
What is the ability of an aspen tree to regenerate?
Photo by B. Campbell. Aspen is noted for its ability to regenerate vegetatively by shoots and suckers arising along its long lateral roots. Root sprouting results in many genetically identical trees, in aggregate called a "clone". All the trees in a clone have identical characteristics and share a root structure.
How big is an aspen tree?
Photo by Linnea Hanson. Aspen are medium-sized deciduous trees, commonly 20 to 80 feet in height, and 3 to 18 inches diameter . Trees more than 80 feet tall and larger than 24 inches diameter are occasionally found. Their bark is smooth, greenish-white, yellowish-white, yellowish-gray, or gray to almost white in color.
What are the animals that live in aspen trees?
Aspen provide habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, including hare, moose, black bear, elk, deer, ruffed grouse, migratory birds, and a variety of smaller animals. Aspen stands produce livestock forage, biomass, and are a source for a variety of wood products.
How to grow aspen trees in a hole?
Break up the soil down to 15 inches (38 cm.) below the planting site. Amend the soil with organic compost. Work sand into the mix as well if drainage is poor. Dig a hole in the worked soil for the seedling’s or sapling’s root ball. Position the young aspen in the hole and fill in around it with extruded soil.
What is an aspen tree?
Aspen trees ( Populus tremuloides) are a graceful and striking addition to your backyard with their pale bark and “quaking” leaves. Planting a young aspen is inexpensive and easy if you transplant root suckers to propagate the trees, but you can also buy young aspens grown from seed. If you are interested in aspens, ...
How to harvest aspen saplings?
To “harvest” these saplings, you cut off the root suckers, dig them out and transplant them. Aspens also propagate with seeds, although this is a much more difficult process. If you are able to grow seedlings or buy some, aspen seedling transplant will be virtually the same as root sucker transplant.
How Big Do Quaking Aspens Get?
If you are planting a quaking aspen tree, you may ask “how big do quaking aspens get?” They are generally small or medium trees, but can grow to 70 feet (21 m.) tall in the wild.
What is the role of aspens in nature?
On the other hand, consider that the role of aspens in nature is as a “succession” tree. Its job in the wild is to spread quickly in eroded or burned out areas, providing cover for seedlings of forest trees like pine, fir and spruce. As the forest trees get bigger, the aspens die out.
What is a quaking aspen?
Image by Bret-Barton. Quaking aspen ( Populus tremuloides) are lovely in the wild, and enjoy the most extensive native range of any tree on the continent. Their leaves have flattened petioles, so they tremble in every light breeze.
Can you plant quaking aspen trees?
Quaking Aspen Tree Facts. Before planting a quaking aspen tree in your garden , you’ll need to understand the pros and cons of cultivated aspen trees. Some gardeners love them, some do not. Aspen trees grow very quickly and are very hardy. That means that you can “furnish” a new backyard in just a few seasons if you plant aspens.
Do aspens die out?
As the forest trees get bigger, the aspens die out. Quaking aspen tree facts establish that this succession tree spreads very fast in proper terrain. It grows fast from seeds, but also grows from suckers. Planting a quaking aspen tree can lead quickly to many quaking aspen weed trees invading your yard .
How do quaking aspen trees spread?
Quaking aspen spreads naturally through its root system , developing into large stands over time. In such a stand, one tree is a clone of the next. The trees are also dioecious, so there are distinct male and female colonies. Because quaking aspen trees do propagate themselves so readily through their root systems, you can take advantage of this fact to acquire new trees. Simply dig up offshoots from the original tree and transplant them to a suitable location in your landscape. This is by far the easiest way to propagate quaking aspen.
What is a quaking aspen?
The quaking aspen ( Populus tremuloides ), a name that refers to how its leaves tremble at the slightest breeze, is a tree in the Willow family. Other common names refer to such features as its fall color (golden aspen), bark color (white aspen), or to a favorite habitat (mountain aspen). It's easily identified by its smooth, light-colored bark, interrupted at intervals by darker knots and horizontal scars. An even better identifying feature is its flattened leafstalks, which cause the leaves to "quake" when the wind blows. The leaves are rounded to slightly triangular, 3 inches across, and finely toothed. The flower/seedhead is a catkin. Quaking aspen isn't the best tree for every landscape, but, if you wish to grow it, the best time to plant one is spring, after the last frost date in your area.
How long does it take for a seed to germinate?
Keep the medium moist; placing the container in a plastic bag will help trap moisture. Seed will germinate in 24 hours. Place the container in a window for light. Plant outdoors after all danger of frost has passed.
Is quaking aspen a shade tree?
But to grow a single quaking aspen as a specimen plant or shade tree, you must continually remove any new plants that pop up from the root system.
Does quaking aspen handle heat?
Quaking aspen does not handle heat and humidity well. It is not suited to regions such as the American Southeast.
Can quaking aspen trees grow in full sun?
Grow quaking aspen tree in full sun for best results, although it does tolerate some shade.
Can you grow a catkin from seed?
You can also grow it from seed, but it's a bit more trouble. If you go this route, at least simplify matters by buying the seed rather than trying to harvest it from the wild. The latter is difficult for beginners because the pollinating male plants don't look that much different from the seed-bearing female ones (both produce catkins).
How to grow aspen seeds?
The first step in growing aspen seeds is getting seeds from aspen. Identify female aspen flowers by their time of appearance and their expanding capsules. Male flowers tend to bloom and die before the female flowers become noticeable. As the female flowers mature, the catkins grow longer and the capsules expand.
Where do Graceful Aspen trees grow?
Printer Friendly Version. Image by np-e07. Graceful aspen is the most widely distributed tree in North America, growing from Canada, throughout the U.S. and in Mexico. These natives are also cultivated as garden ornamentals, usually with branch or root cuttings.
How long does it take for catkin flowers to germinate?
When they do, they release hundreds of cottony seeds that blow off in the wind. Germination occurs, if at all, within days of seed dispersal. But you’ll only see seedlings from growing aspen seeds if the seeds reach a moist area to grow.
Do aspen seeds age well?
According to scientific studies by the Forest Service, aspen seeds do not age well. If they do not find moist soil rapidly after dispersal, they dry out and lose their ability to germinate. When to plant aspen seeds? As soon as possible after they mature.
Can you grow aspen from cuttings?
Most aspen trees cultivated for ornamentals are grown from cuttings. You can use branch cuttings or, even easier, root cuttings. Aspens in the wild produce new plants from their root suckers making it easy to “find” a new young tree. But aspen seed propagation is also common in nature. And you can start growing aspen seeds in your backyard ...
Where do aspen trees grow?
The versatile aspen tree has the unusual distinction of growing from coast to coast across North American, spreading as far north as Alaska and Canada and as far south as West Virginia. Learn about this plant's saw-toothed leaves, its unusual bark, and its significance for wildlife.
What is the branching pattern of an aspen tree?
Aspen Poplar Branching Pattern. The quaking aspen tree is a pioneer species that can quickly colonize areas recently cleared areas. The trees develop root suckers which emerge from the soil around the base of the trunk. These suckers can grow into new trees, forming a stand of closely growing aspens.
How big are aspen leaves?
Quaking aspen leaves are nearly round and as wide as 3 inches. Those of bigtooth aspen are longer at about 3 1/2 inches but not quite as wide, with most between 2 and 2 1/2 inches across. Both kinds have edges with rounded teeth on them, with bigtooth aspen’s teeth farther apart than those on the quaking aspen. The leaves turn yellowish gold in the fall, creating striking scenery where large stands of the trees grow.
Where do quaking aspens grow?
Quaking aspens grow across Canada and into Alaska, with the tree absent only from the extreme northern portions of both. In the lower 48 states, quaking aspen grows throughout the Rocky Mountain states, the Great Lakes region and New England. Bigtooth aspen has a much smaller distribution, growing from Minnesota eastward to New England and southern parts of Canada. This variety of aspen tree grows as far south as parts of West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
What is the bark color of a big tooth aspen?
Bigtooth aspen bark is smooth and a gray-white on the immature trees, crisscrossed with black bands. The bark turns a darker hue of gray at the bottom portion of the trunk, with deep furrows, on the older bigtooth aspens. Aspen Poplar Branching Pattern.
How long do aspen trees live?
The aspen normally will not live long, only about 25 years, when planted for landscaping purposes.
Where does Bigtooth Aspen grow?
Bigtooth aspen has a much smaller distribution, growing from Minnesota eastward to New England and southern parts of Canada. This variety of aspen tree grows as far south as parts of West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The Unusual Aspen Leaf.
What is an aspen tree?
About Aspen Trees. The aspen ( Populus tremuloides) is an iconic keystone tree species, and its mixed understory supports a diverse ecosystem throughout the higher elevations of the Rocky Mountains. Aspen trees naturally grow in groves, rather than as individual trees. An aspen grove will have trees at all stages of life, ...
Why can't aspens grow?
Either way, the aspen can’t grow to put out more leaves that would help them combat stressors, such as insects and disease. As a result, aspens have the most problems of all our local plants. In fact, they seem to be perpetually afflicted by a new problem, no matter how many or how often treatments are applied.
What causes aspen leaves to rust?
Aspens are affected by a variety of fungal problems that affect the foliage, including leaf spot, aspen leaf blight, and rust. Most of these diseases can defoliate the tree. Although it requires repeated, severe incidents of leaf blight and dieback to kill a tree, annual leaf blight makes aspens look unhealthy, and reduces the desirable characteristics of delicate branches and green, fluttering leaves.
Why do aspens clone themselves?
But that’s just the beginning. Aspens need to clone themselves to stay healthy (that’s why they naturally grow in groves). They do this by sending out tons of “suckers,” many of which end up in spots where homeowners don’t want them. So, we cut them out or let the elk/deer eat them to the ground. Either way, the aspen can’t grow to put out more leaves that would help them combat stressors, such as insects and disease.
Why is my aspen tree turning orange?
Another common aspen tree problem is cytospora canker. This fungal disease causes patches of bright orange bark that (usually, but not always) ooze brown liquid. After a few years, the bark begins to fall off and you’ll see dark brown or black areas beneath it.
What is the prevailing tree in Colorado?
Aspens are the prevailing tree in our part of the Colorado Front Range and a favorite with many residents in Evergreen and the surrounding areas. Unfortunately, aspen trees are also susceptible to a wide range of problems. For example, they’re prone to many types of injuries (like deer or elk rubbing and browsing), ...
What is the sticky substance in an aspen tree?
In addition, we often see aphids in aspens; they secrete a sticky substance called honeydew that results in an unsightly, black sooty mold covering the leaves and everything beneath the tree.
How do aspen trees reproduce?
On the other hand, they can be extremely invasive. As you may know, aspen can reproduce through suckers - seedlings that form from the roots of the parent tree. These are not stopped by concrete garden barriers or sidewalks. Aspen suckers will pop up all over your yard and garden beds and managing them is not a fun task. They will cross property lines and become a problem for your neighbors (though from the sounds of it, some of them may enjoy that). You can cut the suckers and reduce sprouting by using an herbicide (detailed here - https://forestry.usu.edu/ask-an-expert-new/aspen_rootsprouts) but it weakens the parent tree and the sprouts will still come back.
Is aspen native to Utah?
Another issue is that while aspen is native in Utah, it is native at higher elevations. The conditions at our elevation (under 6,000 ft) are not ideal for aspen. It is too hot, too dry, and the soil pH is too high. These conditions will only shorten their life even more, while opening them up to the susceptibility of diseases and insects.
