The aspen is a medium-sized deciduous tree, often turning a beautiful shade of yellow or purple in the autumn. Giving a distinctive murmur with the slightest breath of wind due to its flattened leaf-stalk, the mature tree is noteworthy for its main method of reproduction, which in the UK is mainly vegetative - that is it reproduces by sending up shoots from its roots; large stands of aspen can be genetically identical for this reason. In the states there is a stand of the closely related Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) thought to be the heaviest known organism at some six and a half thousand tons! It is quick-growing and is frequently grown to compliment a coniferous hedge or screen. 

Suitable Soil Conditions

• Acid Soil
• Alkali Soil
• Dry Soil

Suitable Site Conditions

• Coastal Site
• Exposed Site
• Shaded Site

Ultimate Tree Height

• 20 metres+

Growth Rate

• Medium