Populus grandidentata
Copyright, Trees of
Wisconsin Copyright, The Ohio
Department of Natural Resources and The Ohio State Universit
Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, 2002 Bigtooth Aspen is a
medium-sized tree that grows up to 60 feet tall. The
trunk
is one to two feet wide. It has rounded leaves
about four inches long with large teeth.
Leaves turn yellow in the fall. Aspens get
flowers
early in the spring, before they get their leaves. Aspen
flowers are called catkins.
Catkins are 2 to 3 inches long, tan-colored, and
droopy. Later, catkins are
replace with fruits.
Bigtooth Aspen fruits have small seeds
combined with silky hairs. They travel by wind to new
places, where they may be able to grow into a new tree. One
tree can make over a million seeds. Bigtooth Aspens do not
like shade. They usually grow on the edges of woods or along
streams. They grow fast, but do not live long. These trees
live for about 50 years. Copyright, The Ohio
Department of Natural Resources and The Ohio State Universit
Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, 2002
Paul Wray, Iowa State University
The bark
of Bigtooth Aspen is mostly smooth, gray, and thin. At the
bottom of the trunk (the first three feet), there are orange
furrows
(wrinkles). Bigtooth Aspens are often
found with the following plants: Red Maple, Gray Birch,
Eastern White Pine, Virginia Pine,American Beech, Eastern
Redcedar, White Oak, Pin Oak, Basswood, Black Cherry,
Sassafras, Flowering Dogwood, Black Willow, blueberries,
Bracken Fern, Smooth Sumac, Witch Hazel, Mapleleaf Viburnum,
Black Locust, and Wild Strawberry. Copyright, The Ohio
Department of Natural Resources and The Ohio State Universit
Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, 2002 Bill Cook, Michigan State
University Copyright, Brooklyn
Botanical Garden Copyright, The Ohio
Department of Natural Resources and The Ohio State Universit
Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, 2002 Bigtooth Aspen often gets
crowded out by Red Maple, Eastern White Pine, and oaks.
Aspens are an important
food source for many animals, and are the favorite food of
Beaver. Beaver eat twigs, leaves, and bark. They also used
branches to make dams. White-tailed Deer,
Muskrat, and Eastern Cottontail eat leaves and twigs.
Buds
are eaten by Purple Finch. Seeds are eaten by Carolina
Chickadee and American Goldfinch.
