Overview
Populus grandidentata, bigtooth aspen, is a fast-growing deciduous tree in the willow family native to eastern North America. It reaches 50-70 feet (15-21 m) tall with a narrow, open crown 20-40 feet (6-12 m) wide and smooth gray-green to white bark that darkens and furrows with age. The leaves are 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) long with large, rounded teeth along the margin, set on flattened stalks that let them flutter in the wind, and they turn clear yellow in autumn. It is dioecious, with male and female catkins on separate trees opening in early spring before the leaves. The tree is a pioneer that quickly colonizes burned, cleared, or disturbed land, often forming clonal groves from root suckers that share one root system. It grows on dry to moist sandy and rocky soils in full sun and is intolerant of shade. Bigtooth aspen is short-lived, usually declining after 50-70 years, and its soft, brittle wood is prone to breakage and to heart rot. Suckering can send up shoots well beyond the original tree.
Native Range
Native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia and Quebec west to Manitoba and south through the Great Lakes and Appalachians to North Carolina and Tennessee. It grows on dry uplands, sandy plains, burned ground, and disturbed clearings, often with quaking aspen and birch.Suggested Uses
Used for fast screening and quick cover on cleared or burned land, in naturalized and woodland plantings, and in restoration and wildlife habitat. Its short life and suckering limit its use as a long-term specimen in small gardens.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height50' - 70'
Width/Spread20' - 40'
Bloom Information
Drooping catkins open in March and April, before the leaves, on separate male and female trees. Flowering lasts one to two weeks. Female trees release cottony, wind-borne seed in late spring.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
greenish to reddish catkinsFoliage Description
green, turning clear yellow in fallGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight