Quaking Aspen         pop-U-lus trem-u-LOY-dez

• Deciduous tree, 40-50 ft (12-15 m), pyramidal and narrow when young, long trunk and narrow, rounded crown when mature.  Bark is thin, smooth greenish white to cream colored, furrowed dark brown or gray in old age.  Leaves alternate, simple, thin, ovate to orbicular, 4-7.5 cm long, finely glandular serrate, lustrous dark green above, glabrous below.  Fine yellow color in fall.  Laterally flattened petioles allow leaves to flutter in the slightest breeze (to "quake").
• Sun or part shade.  Grows in many types of soil, from loamy sand to clay.  Fast growing and relatively short lived.
• Hardy to USDA Zone 1         The most widely distributed tree in North America.
• In their habitat, quaking aspen forms clones connected by a common parent root system.  Since trees are typically dieocious, a given clone may be either male or female.  However, some clones produce both male and female flowers.  In the West, quaking aspen stands are often even-aged, originating after a single top-killing event.
• Oregon State Unvi. campus: behind EPA Lab. on 35th St.