Quaking Aspen, Common to the Rocky Mountains
- Binomial Name: Populus tremuloides
- Soil Type: Moist
- Sunlight: Full sun, tolerates some shade
- Form/Growth: Medium sized tree up to 60 feet tall
- Foliage: Deciduous
- Flowering/ Fruiting: Yes – Catkins
The Quaking Aspen gets its name from the movement of the leaves in the slightest winds causing all the leaves to move in unison.
A very attractive native landscape tree that can tolerate many types of soils but prefers moist areas with lots of sun, but prefer a cooler climate. The leaves on a Quaking Aspen are darker green on the top and a whitish green on bottom growing to around 3 inches wide and 3 and a half inches long giving it a round- ovate form with a pointed tip. The leaves turn a yellow to gold color in fall before dropping. The bark on the Quaking Aspen when younger is smooth green to whitish in color, then develops into a darker grey color that is furrowed.
In the wild these trees usually grow in large groves in meadows and often found in the Rocky Mountains.
This Native Plant of the Month is brought to you by the City of Beaverton’s Landscape and Urban Forestry Department. Visit Clean Water Service’s Native Plant Finder webpage for interactive questions to help you find the right native plant to fit your needs!