Aspen

Profile

Family

Salicaceae

Habit

Tree

Height

19 m

Spread

12 m

Growth

very fast

Lifespan

80 years

First yield

after 7 years

Hardiness

zone 2–7

Shade tolerance

partial shade

Soil

Sand, Silt, Loam, Clay

Soil moisture

semi-dry – near water

pH

5 – 8

Synonyms

Zitterpappel, Aspe, Pappel

Flowering & harvest

Times apply to the northern hemisphere in a temperate climate and shift with altitude and cultivar.

Uses

Edible: Inner bark is dried, ground into a powder, and processed into flour for making bread and other products, typically as a final option after exhausting other alternatives.

Medicinal: Plant ash infusion was traditionally utilized to alleviate heart palpitations due to its effectiveness in treating heart issues.

Other uses: A rapidly growing tree that is resistant to wind can be planted for windbreaks and to enhance dense clay soils in underdeveloped forests. The wood is soft, flexible, easy to split, with a somewhat woolly texture. It is odorless and flavorless, fire-resistant, not long-lasting, but highly resistant to abrasion. Ideal for making top-notch paper and charcoal production.

Growing

A tree that is easy to cultivate thrives in dense, cold, and damp soil, preferably neutral to acidic, and avoids calcareous soil. The subspecies P. tremula davidiana (Dode) Schneid can tolerate highly alkaline soil. It generally prefers deep, fertile, well-drained soil, thriving best in southern and eastern regions. Growth is notably slower in damp, poor acidic, and shallow dry soil. This tree grows effectively in poor soil, likely due to its intolerance to competition. The plants are highly wind-resistant and flourish in cold, exposed areas with adequate moisture. They do not favor shade and struggle with root or branch competition. The aspen is beneficial for wildlife, hosting over 90 insect species and serving as a food source for the green hairstreak butterfly. Ash trees possess extensive and aggressive root systems that can infiltrate drainage systems and cause harm. Particularly on clay soil, they should not be planted within 12 meters of buildings to prevent damage to foundations from soil drying out due to the root system. They can be planted to enhance neglected forests with heavy clay soil. Ash trees are dioecious, requiring both male and female plants for seed production.

Propagation

Seeds should be planted right after they mature in the spring. Poplar seeds have a very short lifespan and should be planted within a few days of maturing. They are planted shallowly or lightly covered in trays in a cold environment. Once the seedlings reach a suitable size, they are moved to individual pots and further cultivated in the cold environment. If they grow sufficiently, they can be planted in their final spot in late summer. Otherwise, they should be kept in the cold environment until the next spring before planting. Most poplar species freely cross-pollinate, so collected seeds may not be true unless gathered from the wild where no other poplar species are present. Take cuttings from mature wood in November/December in a protected outdoor area. This species is challenging to propagate from cuttings. In the spring, propagate through root suckers. In winter, propagate through root cuttings.

Notable

Special features: +Wind, slope and bank protection, renaturation, ...grows into shrub-like thickets, forms stronger root runners than P. nigra.; Constant leaf movement (trembling) causes increased transpiration, which increases the nutrient supply and thus also growth; population can lower the groundwater level by up to 1 m.

Origin & habitat

Europe, from Iceland south and east to North Africa, temperate Asia to Japan.

In offenen Wäldern und buschigen Heidelandschaften zu finden, meist auf ärmeren Böden, wo es manchmal dominant ist.

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