Quaking aspen
Populus tremuloides
Leaves that tremble in the slightest breeze; spreads into groves by root.
Hardiness: zones 1 to 7
Light: full sun
Size: about 40 ft tall, 20 ft wide
From: North America
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: wildlife, butterfly and moth caterpillars.
Native to: Rockies & Great Basin, Desert Southwest, Northeast, Midwest & Great Lakes, Alaska, Eastern Canada, Western Canada, Pacific Northwest. Hardy in zones 1 to 7.
The story
Quaking aspen is the most widespread tree in North America. A whole grove is often a single plant joined at the root; one in Utah, named Pando, covers over a hundred acres and may be the heaviest living thing on Earth.
Planting
Full sun and cool, moist soil. Best at altitude or in the north.
Growing
Water in dry spells. It will send up suckers; mow them, or let the grove form.
Harvest and use
Trembling leaves, clear gold fall color, and bark and buds that feed beaver, grouse, elk and deer through winter.
What to watch for
Short-lived and disease-prone in hot lowlands. It suckers into lawns.
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More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home