Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) - Park Rapids · PDF file · 2016-08-17Aspen...
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Credit MN DNR & Wikipedia • Size at Maturity Height of 65'. Aspens typically grow in large clonal colonies, derived from a single seedling, and spread by means of root suckers; new stems in the colony may appear at up to 90–130’ from the parent tree. Diameter of 12” to 20”. • Range Found in all parts of Minnesota; one of the first species to appear after cutting or fire, fast growing. • Bark Thin, white to gray green, almost smooth with black areas around base of limbs; becomes grayish and warty or deeply furrowed. • Leaf Simple, alternate on stem; small, broadly oval, short pointed at end and finely toothed along margin; green and shiny above, dull green below; usually ranges in size from 1" to 4" or more in length as well as in width on vigorous young shoots. Leafstalks are flattened at right angles to leaves, causing leaves to quake or tremble in a very slight breeze. • Seeds or Fruit The light brown seeds are contained in a cottony mass (catkin). They usually germinate in a few hours after they release from the tree. The seeds ripens in late spring (May or June) before full expansion of leaves • Wildlife Uses Aspen bark is an important hosts for plants that will grow out of the bark and act as food for the larvae of butterfly. Young aspen are often foraged on by rabbits. Beaver like to cut down aspen trees. • Wood Product Uses Used for making matches and paper • Insect and Diseases Insects that affect Aspen trees include Aphids, Aspen Leaf Miners, Sawflies and Western Tent Caterpillar. Diseases include Ink Spot Disease and Marssonia Blight. Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
Transcript of Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) - Park Rapids · PDF file · 2016-08-17Aspen...
Credit MN DNR & Wikipedia
• Size at Maturity Heightof65'.Aspenstypicallygrowinlargeclonalcolonies,derivedfromasingleseedling,andspreadbymeansofrootsuckers;newstemsinthecolonymayappearatupto90–130’fromtheparenttree.Diameterof12”to20”.
• Range FoundinallpartsofMinnesota;oneofthefirstspeciestoappearaftercuttingorfire,fastgrowing.
• Bark Thin,whitetograygreen,almostsmoothwithblackareasaroundbaseoflimbs;becomesgrayishandwartyordeeplyfurrowed.
• Leaf Simple,alternateonstem;small,broadlyoval,shortpointedatendandfinelytoothedalongmargin;greenandshinyabove,dullgreenbelow;usuallyrangesinsizefrom1"to4"ormoreinlengthaswellasinwidthonvigorousyoungshoots.Leafstalksareflattenedatrightanglestoleaves,causingleavestoquakeortrembleinaveryslightbreeze.
• Seeds or Fruit Thelightbrownseedsarecontainedinacottonymass(catkin).Theyusuallygerminateinafewhoursaftertheyreleasefromthetree.Theseedsripensinlatespring(MayorJune)beforefullexpansionofleaves
• Wildlife Uses Aspenbarkisanimportanthostsforplantsthatwillgrowoutofthebarkandactasfoodforthelarvaeofbutterfly.Youngaspenareoftenforagedonbyrabbits.Beaverliketocutdownaspentrees.
• Wood Product Uses Usedformakingmatchesandpaper
• Insect and Diseases InsectsthataffectAspentreesincludeAphids,AspenLeafMiners,SawfliesandWesternTentCaterpillar.DiseasesincludeInkSpotDiseaseandMarssoniaBlight.
Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
