(Populus tremuloides)
Provides stunning yellow fall color. Adds movement and a soft, pleasant sound to the landscape due to the “quaking” leaves, and has smooth, greenish-white to cream bark on a long, narrow trunk.
ZONE: 1-7
POLLINATOR: Yes, may attract honey bees with sweet smelling flowers.
DEER RESISTANT: No, quaking aspen trees are not deer resistant; in fact, they are a preferred food source and highly palatable to deer, moose, and elk. Deer frequently browse on the leaves, twigs, and buds, and they often damage the bark by rubbing their antlers against the trunk, which can kill the tree.
DROUGHT TOLERANT: Yes, highly once established suitable for waterwise gardens.
EVERGREEN: No
SPREADS BY SEED: Yes, via their catkins
NEEDS A CROSS POLLINATOR: Wind
AGE OF PLANT: Estimated 2+yr old (current stock)
MATURE HEIGHT: 25-80 ft tall & 10-30ft wide
Burke Herbarium Image Collection
Developed and hosted by the University of Washington Herbarium at the Burke Museum, this site brings together 109,079 photographs and contributions from numerous photographers and botanists.
View this plant...
https://burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Populus+tremuloides
QUAKING ASPEN
PLANTING & GROWING
Full sun to part shade, moist, well draining acidic soil.
MEDICINAL BENEFITS
- Antiseptic
- Tea from leaves brings down fever
- The inner bark contains salicin and populin, which are used to treat arthritis, rheumatism, and general pain
- Antiparasitic use by the Salish Tribes
- White powder on bark has been used as a mild sunscreen
- Anti-inflammatory
- Chewed bark stops bleeding
- The Apache, Chiricahua, and Mescalero scraped off the inner bark of the tree and baked into the form of a cake to eat. Many tribes used the cambium part of the wood of the tree for food. The Blackfoot used the bark as fodder to feed their horses in the winter.
- Sap water tapped in winter, hydrating
- Young leaves can be fermented into a topping for wild caught fish
Note: While generally safe, some individuals may have skin sensitivity to it, and it should be avoided during pregnancy.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.
FLAVOR & PAIRING
Best prepared on its own keep it simple. Use with caution as high doses can cause stomach upset. Do not consume if pregrant or trying to become pregrant.