Named for the way their leaves wave in even light breezes, quaking aspen can be planted ornamentally for its pale bark and bright yellow fall color. Tends to form colonies, so suckers should be trimmed if spreading is not desirable. Prefers mesic conditions and sandy loam or silty loam, but is generally adaptable.

Pollination: Male and female needed.

Light: Full Sun, Part Sun/Shade

Soil Moisture: Mesic, Dry Mesic, Dry

Soil Type: Sandy Loam, Silty Loam, Rocky Loam, Clay Loam

Height: 30’-60’

Width: 20’-30’

Bloom Color: Insignificant (Yellow, Green, Brown)

Bloom Time: Apr-May

Fruit: Small seeds only remain viable for a week or two.

Fall Color: Yellow

Root Type: Branching

Notable Wildlife Interactions: Hosts the viceroy, white admiral, mourning cloak, and Compton’s tortoiseshell butterflies, a skipper, beetles, borers, leafhoppers, and many smaller insects. Supports a wide variety of birds and mammals.

Notes: A colony of quaking aspen in Utah, named Pando, is estimated to be the largest and oldest living organism. Individual trunks are only live ~50 years, so damaged or sick trunks can be removed to make way for new shoots.