Our Local Ecology The Land - Tree IdentificationAspen Trees Largetooth Aspen - Populus grandidentata (Michx)Other Common Names: Largetooth Poplar, Poplar and Bigtooth Aspen. Largetooth Aspen occurs in scattered patches throughout Prince Edward Island and is often mistaken for Trembling Aspen. It is medium-sized tree, 50 to 60 feet in height and a diameter of 12 to 16 inches. The trunk is tall and straight, and in a crowded stand is frequently clear of limbs for more than two-thirds its length. The narrow, round-topped, open crown is composed of somewhat horizontal-spreading branches. It grows on the same types of soil as the trembling aspen, but reaches its best development on moist sandy slopes or borders of streams. It is found in pure stands also in mixtures of white pine, trembling aspen and white birch.. It also reproduces easily from root suckers. The wood, like that of trempling aspen, is used for veneers, matches, boxes and in the manufacture of pulp. DESCRIPTION LEAVES: Alternate. simple, nearly circular in outline. short-pointed, very coarse-toothed with large teeth, 2 to 4 inches long, borne on flattened stems, dark green above, pale green below. FLOWERS: March-April, before leaves from separate flower-buds; unisexual; in drooping hairy catkins, male and female on different trees. FRUIT: May-June; as the leaves open; a pale green, downy capsule, 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch long, borne loosely in drooping catkins; opening at maturity. TWIGS: Moderately stout, reddish-brown to brownish grey, more or less downy, terminal bud about 1/4 of an inch long, grey-downy, similar to the lateral buds. Flower buds larger. BARK: Smooth at first, and greenish-grey; becoming brownish or almost black and deep-furrowed at the base of old trunks. WOOD: Light, soft, not strong, fine-textured, diffuse-porous, light brown with thin almost white sapwood.
Trembling Aspen - -Populus tremuloides (Michx)Thuja occidentalis L.Other Common Names: Poplar, Aspen, Aspen Poplar, White Poplar, Purple and Smooth-barked Poplar. Trembling aspen is found throughout Prince Edward Island. It is not a large tree, averaging about 40 feet in height and 8 to 10 inches in diameter, when mature. The trunk is slender, with a gradual taper, and extends almost to the top of the tree. The moderately stout crown is round-topped and open. Poplar, as it is called here, grows best on a well-drained loam, but is found on a wide variety of soils. It will not grow in the shade of other trees and occurs frequently in pure stands, or mixed with white birch, pin cheiry, large-toothed aspen. It reproduces very quickly and easily by means of root suckers. The wood is used for veneer, matches and boxes. It is also used in the manufacture of pulp. DESCRIPTION LEAVES: Alternate, simple, nearly circular in outline, abruptly pointed, fine toothed with rounded teeth, 1 1/2 to 3 inches long, borne on long, flattened stems; shiny dark-green above, yellowish-green below; quivering in the slightest breeze. FLOWERS:March-April; from special flower buds before the leaves, unisexual; in drooping, hairy catkins, the male and female on different trees. FRUIT: May-June before the leaves are fully grown; a greenish capsule, about 1/4 of an inch long, arranged in catkins and containing the small tufted seeds; opening at maturity. TWIGS: Slender, shiny, reddish.brown. Terminal buds about 1/4 of an inch long, sharp-pointed, slightly resinous, reddish-brown, similar to the lateral buds; flower buds larger. BARK: Smooth, greenish-brown at first; becoming rough, furrowed, grey to brown. WOOD: Light, soft, not strong fine-textured, diffuse-porous; greyish-brown to almost white sapwood.
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