Quaking Aspen
Populus tremuloides

Summary
Quaking aspen is easy to identify as its flattened leaf stalks cause the leaves to flutter with the slightest breeze. In fall, the shimmering golden foliage against the white bark is a striking feature. The most widely distributed tree in North America, it can adapt to a wide variety of soil, pH, moisture, and climate conditions. It grows 40-50 feet tall and spreads by root shoots, sometimes forming large colonies.
More Details
FAMILY
Populus (Poplar)
BLOOM TIME
Spring, Individual flowers are small and clustered in elongated, drooping catkins that expand before the leaves.
FLOWER
Yellow, green
MATURE SIZE
30-40 feet with narrow crown
LIGHT REQUIREMENT
Sun, part-shade, shade
SOIL CONDITIONS
dry, moist, wet
NATIVE STATUS
PA Native
Ecosystem Connections
Many birds feed on the buds, catkins, and seeds. Deer and elk seek shade from aspen groves in summer, and 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.