Its 3-inch-wide leaves are finely toothed and they turn abrilliant golden-yellow color in the fall.
Quaking aspen grows best in full sun, and average soil, and thrives in cooler regions.
Quaking Aspen Tree Care
Here are the basic requirements to successfully grow the high-maintenance quaking aspen tree.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Soil
Provide quaking aspen with good drainage.
An averagegarden loamis sufficient.
Water
For best results, keep the soil evenly moist.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
A quaking aspen should get a deep watering every two to four weeks.
During hot summers, it should have water at least every other week.
Temperature and Humidity
Quaking aspen is cold-hardy all the way to zone 1.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
The tree will not handle heat and humidity well.
It is not suited to regions such as the American Southeast.
Fertilizer
Types of Aspen (Poplar) Trees
There are several trees in thePopulusgenus.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
They are commonly referred to as “poplars,” sometimes as “aspens.”
Quaking aspen must be pruned after heavy winter snowfalls have damaged limbs.
You may wish to remove low-lying limbs there (rather than having to duck under them when walking).
Again, prune such branches back to the collar.
In such a stand, one tree is a clone of the next.
The trees are alsodioecious, with distinct male and female colonies.
This is by far the easiest way to propagate quaking aspen.
The larvae do the boring, and their holes invite damaging fungi into the tree.
But these beetles typically attack trees that are in poor health.
Quaking aspen can be attacked bypowdery mildew disease.
Quaking aspen likes evenly moist soil, but you must strike the right balance between dry and soggy soil.
Soggy soil invites fungal infections.
Likewise, don’t get the leaves wet when watering.
Water early in the day so that excess water evaporates before nightfall.
Practicing good garden hygiene can also help prevent this fungal disease.
Remove and dispose of any diseased leaves or branches.
Common Problems With Quaking Aspen Tree
Quaking aspen is a very high-maintenance tree.
Stay aware of these signs that indicate the tree may be in trouble.
Browsing Animals
Quaking aspens are a favorite food source for deer and elk.
The animals seriously damage aspen trees by eating the shoots of young suckering trees and they eat the bark.
Deer and elk also rub their antlers against the bark causing deep gashes that can kill the tree.
The most significant damage occurs during mating season (September to November).
To reduce tree damage, use strong barrier fencing to keep animals out.
Remove all wraps in the spring.
You must continuously remove the suckers or new shoots from their spreading root system.
This condition occurs during winters with freezing weather dotted with unseasonably warm days.
The warmth might confuse the tree, thinking it should come out of dormancy and prepare for spring growth.
Also, see to it your aspens are receiving ample water.
Drought-stressed trees are more likely to suffer from sunscald.
If your tree has already been damaged from sunscald, do not paint the damaged bark sections.
Allow it to heal.
There’s no quick fix or cure.
Maintaining a watering schedule is the best way to bring your tree back to health.
During the growing season, these trees need infrequent but deep watering.
This condition is called chlorosis.
You might notice the yellowing beginning at the edge of the leaves and then moving to the center.
The leaf edges may turn brown, start curling, or fall off.
In extreme cases, injections into the tree might be needed.
Quaking aspens can be good for a yard.
This tree prefers to clone itself into stands or groves.
However, because it is aggressive,do not grow quaking aspen around water lines or septic tanks.
Quaking aspens can seem to live forever.
Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.
Common Diseases of Aspen.Colorado State Forest Service.
Unforgettable Experiences: Pando Aspen Clone.National Forest Foundation.
