academics
“My internship experience proved that it's important to keep your eyes open, as you never know what slight connection is going to get you the experience you are looking for.”
Sam Moore '09, Graphic Design major
Quaking or Trembling Aspen Populus tremuloides
Willow Salicaceae family
Leaves nearly round, with many, very fine teeth. The petiole (leaf stalk) is flat and long, so even the slightest bit of air movement will make the leaf "quake." Leaves appear earlier in the spring than bigtooth aspen
Flowers resemble pussy willows at first, then develop into long catkins.
Fruits are tiny seeds attached to fluffy cotton that carries them easily in the wind.
Twigs are shiny, golden-brown (new growth), with shiny, somewhat sticky buds.
Bark is yellowish to gray, and can sometimes resemble paper birch, but the bark doesn't peel. Large trunks may be dark and furrowed near the bottom and whiter as you look up the trunk.
Form/Habitat: Trembling Aspen is a medium sized tree, 20 - 50' tall, with a 4 - 12" diameter. It populates disturbed areas and grows quickly. Poplars are generally short-lived.
NWI Status: Unknown
Click here to return to the Angiosperm index.
Click here to return to the Virtual Herbarium Home Page.
