what do aspen trees eat

Throughout the year, young aspens

provide food or a variety of animals including moose, black bear, beaver, porcupine, ruffed grouse and rodents. Although a soft wood, aspen is relatively strong and has been used in unique ways. Matches – aspen wood is not as flammable as other species Saunas – aspen wood does not splinter easily

Full Answer

What animals eat aspen trees?

The mammals will eat the bark, leaves and the twigs of these trees, and use the branches to construct dams. Other mammals that depend on the aspen tree for food include deer, moose and elk, which browse the leaves and twigs. Rabbits and muskrats will eat the bark, and birds such as the ruffed grouse will consume the seeds and the flower buds.

What do Beavers eat aspen trees?

Both kinds of aspens are a principal food of beavers throughout their range. The mammals will eat the bark, leaves and the twigs of these trees, and use the branches to construct dams. Other mammals that depend on the aspen tree for food include deer, moose and elk, which browse the leaves and twigs.

What is aspen tree bark like?

Aspen tree bark is unique in a few ways. First, the greenish appearance is chlorophyll, which makes aspen bark photosynthetic. Second, bark from aspen trees acts as food for butterflies, deer, beaver, moose, and elk. Aspen trees are identifiable by their long, slender straight trunks.

What is a Chinese aspen tree?

The Chinese aspen tree is a medium to large deciduous flowering tree with smooth, grayish-white bark and smooth, ovate leaves. This aspen species grows up to 100 ft. (30 m). Like many aspens, the Chinese aspen bark becomes gray, rough, and fissured as the tree matures. As its common name suggests, the Populus adenopoda is native to China.

What do you feed an aspen tree?

You can use regular water-soluble plant fertilizers for your aspen and other deciduous trees and shrubs. Miracle-Gro is a popular choice, but you can also choose an organic fertilizer, like one from Age-Old Organics.

What do Aspen Trees need to survive?

Plant the trees in moist, well-drained soil. The soil should be slightly acidic for the tree to thrive. Plant aspens on northern or eastern slopes, or northern or eastern sides of your house, rather than sunnier areas. They cannot tolerate drought or hot, dry soil.

What helps aspen trees 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.

Do you need to feed aspen trees?

You only need to fertilize your aspen tree once a year. Apply a slow-release fertilizer early in the spring to advance growth and tree health. High-nitrogen fertilizer encourages faster growth but you can use any general, balanced-type fertilizer.

How do you keep an aspen tree healthy?

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.

Do aspens need a lot of water?

Water quaking aspens to a 2-foot depth every two to four weeks to keep them hydrated and healthy. In areas with hot summers, increase the frequency of watering to every other week to keep the roots cool and moist.

What animals eat aspen trees?

Deer, moose, and elk seek shade from aspen groves in summer. These same animals consume bark, leaves, buds, and twigs of quaking aspens throughout the year. Ruffed grouse are especially dependent on quaking aspens for food and nesting habitat.

What is special about aspen trees?

Aspens grow all the time—even in winter. Beneath the thin, white outer bark layer is a thin green photosynthetic layer that allows the tree to create sugars and grow when other deciduous trees would otherwise be dormant. During hard winters, the green, sugary layer provides necessary nutrients for deer and elk.

How can I make my aspen grow faster?

Aspen trees also need to be kept thin. Branches cannot grow across each other, as this may cut sunlight from other parts of the tree. Once every early spring, apply a slow-release fertilizer. The fertilizer can be a general, balanced type, but fertilizer high in nitrogen will encourage faster growth.

What is the best fertilizer for trees?

As a result, trees usually respond best to fertilizer with a 2-1-1 or a 3-1-1 ratio (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium). Commonly available fertilizers with a 2-1-1 or similar ratio are 18-6-12, 12-6-6, 10-6-4, 10-8-6 and 10-8-4.

Why are my aspen leaves turning yellow?

Iron chlorosis. This disorder occurs when aspen trees can't take up iron from the soil to make chlorophyll. It appears as yellowing leaves with green veins. Drought, root stress and compacted soils aggravate this disorder, which can become severe enough to kill the tree.

Why are my aspen leaves turning brown?

According to the Colorado University Extension, “Leaf scorch is caused by a tree or shrub's inability to take up sufficient water to meet its needs under harsh summer weather conditions.”

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, ...

What are the pests that attack aspen trees?

Other common insect pests that attack aspen will damage the trunk. These include poplar borers and oystershell scale.

What causes aspen 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 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), ...

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 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.

What animals eat aspen?

Many animals including Moose, Deer, Elk and even black bear will eat the bark and young aspens. There are also a number of insect larvae that like to make aspen their home which in turn are food for ladybirds and birds.

Where can I find Aspen trees?

When I hear the name Aspen I usually think of the beautiful winter colours that Aspen tree creates in the United States, however, Aspens with their fluttery leaves can be found in both the UK and the US.

Why do aspen trees have white bark?

The bark on the narrow trunks is a smooth greenish white. Interestingly the bark contains chlorophyll, so even though the aspen loses it leaves in autumn, it can still continue to grow. This is probably why it has evolved to prefer the unshaded spots to allow an increased amount of light in winter.

What are some common names for aspen trees?

The scientific names of the Aspens found in the UK and US are different, but they are often both known by the same common names such as, plain old Aspen, Quaking Aspen, Trembling Aspen, Common Aspen.

What color are the leaves of aspen?

As a result, in the autumn (fall) the leaves will turn a beautiful shade of yellow. This is usually the only time it Is possible to recognise the different clones of aspen within a forest. Each colony will turn yellow as one in addition to having its own unique shade of yellow.

Why do aspens turn yellow?

Aspens are deciduous, loosing their leaves in winter. As a result, in the autumn (fall) the leaves will turn a beautiful shade of yellow. This is usually the only time it Is possible ...

How to tell if an aspen tree is a single tree?

The easiest way to determine if you are looking at an aspen is that it is unlikely to be a single tree, they will be in a stand (clone). Depending on the time of year it will be firstly, from the shape of their leave, secondly, the autumn colours or thirdly, the tube like white trunks of the clone.

What is the bark of an aspen tree?

Aspen tree bark is smooth and greenish-white when mature and becomes rough and fissured as the tree grows. Closeup pictures of aspen bark show that it’s relatively thin with horizontal splits and black bumpy patches. The silvery-white look of aspen trees makes them easy to mistake for white birch trees.

What color are the leaves on an aspen tree?

The rounded aspen leaves attach to branches by flattened stems (petioles). In the fall, aspen tree leaves turn spectacular golden yellow, orange or bronzy-red. The quaking appearance and rustling noise of aspen trees are due to the leaves.

What is the color of the bark of a big tooth aspen tree?

Bigtooth aspen tree trunk bark is smooth and thin with an olive-green color.

How to identify European aspen?

You can identify European aspens by their smooth pale, greenish-gray bark, broad crown, and dangling flowers on bare branches in springtime. Like the quaking aspen tree, European aspen leaves flutter and tremble in gentle breezes.

How tall is a quaking aspen tree?

Quaking aspen trees grow between 20 and 80 ft. (6 – 24 m) tall and around 20 ft. (6 m) wide. Quaking aspen trees are easy to spot due to their ‘trembling’ leaves that continuously flutter and create a rustling noise. Like all aspens, the quaking aspen tree has a long, slender whitish trunk with black blotches.

What is the name of the tree with the large teeth?

For example, the quaking aspen tree has leaf margins with fine teeth. However, the bigtooth aspen tree has larger, more spaced teeth making the leaf look jaggy. Aspen leaves give the tree its names, such as quaking aspen, trembling aspen, or trembling poplar.

What is the most widely distributed tree in the US?

The quaking aspen is the most widely distributed tree in the US. Quaking aspen is a tall, straight tree that has thin, rounded leaves that always rustle in even slight breezes. This action makes the aspen trees quake or tremble. The related European trembling aspen tree ( Populus tremula) also has a quaking behavior.

What is an aspen tree?

Printer Friendly Version. Image by hookmedia. Aspen trees are a popular addition to landscapes in Canada and the northern parts of the United States. The trees are beautiful with white bark and leaves that turn a striking shade of yellow in the autumn, but they can be finicky in a few different ways. Keep reading to learn more aspen tree ...

How old are aspen trees in Utah?

One aspen tree colony in Utah is thought to be over 80,000 years old. When you’re growing aspen trees in landscapes, however, you probably don’t want a colony that puts up new suckers all the time.

How to prevent tree suckers?

The best way to prevent this spread is to surround your tree with a round metal sheet sunk 2 feet (0.5 m.) into the ground a few feet from the trunk. If your tree does fall to disease or pests, try cutting it down – you should see new suckers very soon.

Do aspens grow near each other?

In fact, if you see several aspens growing near each other, odds are good that they’re actually all parts of the same organism. These root systems are a fascinating element of the aspen tree. They allow the trees to survive forest fires and other aboveground problems.

What animals eat aspen?

Throughout the year, young aspens provide food or a variety of animals including moose, black bear, beaver, porcupine, ruffed grouse and rodents . Although a soft wood, aspen is relatively strong and has been used in unique ways.

Where do aspens grow?

From the Midwest, across Canada, north into Alaska and across the West through to Arizona and New Mexico, quaking as pens dot the edge of conifer forests in clusters or “clones.”. One aspen tree is actually only a small part of a larger organism.

How old is the oldest aspen?

Older than the massive Sequoias or the biblical Bristlecone Pines, the oldest known aspen clone has lived more than 80,000 years on Utah’s Fishlake National Forest. Not only is the clone the oldest living organism, weighing in at an estimated 6,600 tons, it is also the heaviest.

How long do aspens stay dormant?

Before a single aspen trunk appears above the surface, the root system may lie dormant for many years until the conditions are just right, including sufficient sunlight. In a single stand, each tree is a genetic replicate of the other, hence the name a “clone” of aspens used to describe a stand.

Why are there fencing around aspen trees in Arizona?

With support from Salt River Project, the National Forest Foundation helped provide fencing around 12 acres of key aspen stands on Arizona’s Kaibab National Forest to prevent elk from eating the trees. In Utah, the NFF brought together various stakeholders to form the Utah Forest Restoration Working Group.

What is the most common tree in North America?

It’s hard to decide what is most memorable about aspen: the vibrant yellow in the fall, the tall, tube-like clusters of white stands or the sound of the “quaking” leaves. Regardless of what comes to mind when you think of aspens, they hold the title of the most widespread tree in North America. From the Midwest, across Canada, north into Alaska ...

Is aspen wood strong?

Although a soft wood, aspen is relatively strong and has been used in unique ways. Matches – aspen wood is not as flammable as other species. Saunas – aspen wood does not splinter easily. Chopsticks – aspen is flexible and strong for your next tasty eggroll.

What are the diseases of an aspen tree?

From wildlife to insects to fungi, there are many organisms that pose potential threats to the health of an aspen tree. Aphids. Ink Spot Disease. Marssonina Blight.

What is the name of the fly that grows on the twigs of aspen?

Poplar twiggall fly produces a smooth knot-like gall on the twigs of aspen. These galls continue to expand for years after they are produced. The poplar twiggall fly is a native insect that has become much more abundant since the early 1980s. Several natural controls affect incidence of galling.

What causes ink spots on aspen trees?

Ink Spot Disease. Ink spots are a result of the fungus Ciborinia and are commonly found in dense aspen stands. This disease causes leaf discoloration and early leaf drop, which may reduce tree growth. Quick Facts. Five fungi cause most foliage diseases on aspen, cottonwoods and other poplar species.

What is the insect that eats leaves?

Aphids. Aphids are small insects that feed by sucking plant sap from leaves and excrete a sweet, sticky substance called honeydew. The damage is mostly unsightly but, in the long-term, may kill the branches they feed on.

What do sawflies eat?

Sawflies often feed in groups and can quickly defoliate portions of their host plant. Elk Scarring. Elk Scarring. Elk browse on the shoots and stems of aspen trees, creating wounds and allowing the introduction of diseases. Western Tent Caterpillar.

Can caterpillars kill aspen trees?

This defoliating caterpillar feeds on the leaves of aspen, causing aesthetic damage. Consecutive years of defoliation, however, may kill the tree. Quick Facts. Several species of caterpillars construct a silken shelter or tent. In spring, tent caterpillars are common.

Do aphids damage plants?

Aphids occur on almost all types of trees and shrubs. They usually do not damage plants and are controlled by natural enemies such as lady beetles. Problems most commonly occur where aphids produce leaf curls, such as on ash, plum, honeysuckle and snowball viburnum.