Quaking Aspen Populus tremuloides
- Phonetic Spelling
- POP-yoo-lus trem-yoo-LOY-deez
- Description
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Quaking aspen is a native deciduous tree in the willow family. It is found in one small area of the mountains of NC and generally does not grow south of zone 6. It has a strongly pyramidal form when young maturing to a narrow rounded crown. It is a tree of cooler northern regions and thrives in rocky soils at high mountain elevations to clay or sandy loams at lower elevations.
This tree has beautiful white bark and leaves that quake at the slightest breeze due to the flattened leaf stems. It will not tolerate heat and humidity. Fall foliage is a beautiful yellow.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Populus
- Species:
- tremuloides
- Family:
- Salicaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Native Americans are known to have used this plant as a food source. To prepare it, they would cut the inner bark into strips, dry it, and then ground it to be mixed with other starches for bread or mush. They ate catkins raw, and the cambium both raw and in soups.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- North America, NC
- Play Value:
- Wildlife Cover/Habitat
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wind Shimmer
- Dimensions:
- Height: 40 ft. 0 in. - 50 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Pyramidal
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Wet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- White
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Gray/Silver
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Catkin
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Description:
- Silver catkins appear before leaves
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Petioles are flattened which makes the leaves "quake" in the wind.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Green
- Light Gray
- White
- Surface/Attachment:
- Furrowed
- Smooth
- Bark Description:
- Smooth silvery white-green becomes furrowed with age
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Recreational Play Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Native Garden
- Attracts:
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Wet Soil
- Problems:
- Short-lived
