Populus tremuloides Michx. - Quaking Aspen


 

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Populus tremuloides - (image 1 of 5)

 

Taxonomy

Family: Salicaceae

Habitat

Low ground, boggy habitats, sandy scrublands, thickets. Sandy and gravelly slopes. Frequently on sites with a history of fire.

Associates

In the eastern portion of it's range, shrub species include Corylus cornuta, Corylus americana, Acer spicatum, Alnus rugosa, Alnus crispa, Diervilla lonicera, Rubus spp., Ribes spp., Salix spp., Symphoricarpos spp., Viburnum edule, Lonicera dioica, Cornus stolonifera, Amelanchier alnifolia, Prunus virginiana, Salix bebbiana, Rosa spp., Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Shepherdia canadensis, Vaccinium vitisidaea, and Viburnum trilobum.

Herbaceous associates include Aster macrophyllus, Aralia nudicaulis, Maianthemum canadense, Cornus canadensis, Clintonia borealis, Oryzopsis asperifolia, Galium triflorum, Comptonia perigrina, Athyrium filix-femina, Pteridium aquilinum, Carex spp.

Distribution

Labrador west to AK, south to NJ, VA, TN, MO, and Mexico

Morphology

Deciduous tree to 100'. Crown short, rounded; trunk long, straight, lower portion branchless. Leaves broadly oval, abruptly sharp-acuminate, alternate, simple, to 3" long, finely toothed, glabrous; petiole to 2.5" long, flattened laterally. Buds conical, pointed, dark red-brown, non-resinous, shiny. Bark smooth, almost gray-green to white when young; mature bark darker and furrowed into long, flat-topped ridges. Flowers dioecious, in catkins appearing before the leaves; individual flowers solitary, inserted on a disk subtended by a bract; male flowers with 6-12 stamens; female flowers with one pistil. Fruit an oval capsule in 2 parts, containing about 10 seeds.

Notes

Flowers mid March to early May

Wetland indicator: Facultative

A succession species, usually fast growing and replaced quickly by other broadleaf species. Fall color is usually a good yellow. The leaves move with the slightest breeze making this tree easy to identify before it is seen

References

Dirr, Michael A. 1998. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants:
Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses.
5th ed. Champaign, Illinois: Stipes Publishing L.L.C.

 

Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.

The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY.

 

Farrar, J. L. 1995. Trees of the Northern United States and Canada.
Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press.

 

Perala, D. A. 1990. Populus tremuloides Michx.
In R.M. Burns and B.H. Honkala (eds.), Silvics of North America, Vol. 1, Conifers, U.S.D.A.
For. Serv. Agric. Handbk. 654, Washington, D.C.

 

Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.

 


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 Michael Hough © 2005