Quaking Aspen

Populus tremuloides

Height: 25' average mature height

Hardiness Zones: 3-8 Find my zone

Aspect: half shade to full sun

Size Availability

Out of season.

Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall. Additional batches of plugs and quarts are usually added in May.

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Populus tremuloides, or Quaking Aspen, is the most widely distributed tree in North America that thrives in cold mountainous regions. Aspen trees are gorgeous for their beautiful white trunks and golden fall color, but are also known for providing almost constant motion in the garden as the leaves flutter wildly even with seemingly no breeze (hence the name "Quaking" Aspen). These trees are exceptionally cold hardy and thrive in colder regions than any other plant we grow. They are listed as growing in zones 1-6 which would indicate that they don't do well in warmer southern climates, although here in zone 8 they perform well. Their native range extends well into Mexico's central mountains where the climate is much warmer and without much of a winter, showing that under the right conditions these trees perform well in most areas. For areas with high summer heat like our nursery (100 degrees is common for much of the summer) a little bit of afternoon shade goes a long way in keeping plants healthy.

Aspens produce colonies of trees as they produce roots which travel underground for sometimes long distances before sending up shoots to grow into new trees. Therefore one tree will produce a small grove over time and this makes Aspens an excellent choice for establishing large forested areas on good sized properties. However, in small gardens this trait makes the plants invasive and so sadly Aspens are not a good choice for residential areas. Many people attempt to just cut back all the suckers each year but this only works until the roots spread into your neighbor's yard where they are free to grow into new trees.

Aspen trees like areas with good summer moisture and often grow in mountain meadows and along streambeds. However, they also do equally well in high drained soil in our area and are often found growing in pumice fields where their roots can grow deep enough to get to consistent water. Water plants during dry summer spells to get your trees established for the fastest growth.

A colony of Aspen trees growing on a rocky hillside.

Image Credit: Commons

The fantastic fall colors of Aspen trees groves.

Image Credit: Commons

Packing Plants For Shipping

Most of our plants are shipped bare root while they are dormant from late November through April and ship via the U.S. Postal Service. Bamboo plants can be shipped in their containers year-round by UPS.

Bare root plants are soaked and wrapped together in bundles.
ictured are 10x 24 inch tall Coast Redwoods.

The bundled plants are wrapped in paper and labeled by variety.

The bundle is wetted and bagged.

Bundles of plants are secured in long boxes.

Pruning and Plant Sizes

We prune both the tops and the roots of our plants at least once per year while they are growing in our nursery to ensure they develop a strong, dense form. Regular annual pruning goes a long way to ensure a healthy branching structure and this is often a missed step in many nurseries. Pruning a plant back hard after it has been neglected pruning-wise often results in an irregular branch habit or multiple leaders so we prune early and regularly instead. We also prune the roots of our plants while they are dormant which causes them to produce a much more branched structure and helps to elimate tangled masses that hinder future development. Plants that have been root pruned establish themselves much more quickly than root bound plants. Generally, hardwood plants will be pruned in the winter and conifers will be pruned in the summer.

Before shipping plants we prune the tops and roots one last time. Conifers will usually have very little pruning except to balance out long branches. Shrubs are usually pruned to around 1-2 feet tall to encourage low branch development and small to medium sized trees are usually pruned to around 36-40 inches. Pruning trees at this height encourages dominant branches to begin forming around 3 feet from the ground which typically looks the best in most situations. However, if you want a tree to have branching start higher (some city codes require trees to not branch below 4 feet) we have longer boxes available. To request taller trees please contact us at least three days before your ship date. Depending on your location and the shipping routes there may be a fee for oversize package handling (usually about $15 for a 60 inch box).

Tall trees (Oaks, Ginkgo, large Maples, etc.) are pruned to 40 inches to encourage crown development from about 36 inches and up

Small and medium trees (short Maples, Redbuds, Stewartia, etc.) are pruned 10-20 inches above the prune line from last year

Shrubs (Weigela, Hydrangea, Viburnum, etc.) are pruned to 18 inches tall and root pruned one last time

Small plug size

Bamboo Plants Are Shipped In Their Containers

Bamboo roots are not flexible and so plants have to be shipped in their containers. These plants are heavier and are shipped separately from bare root plants. Because they are potted they can handle longer transit times so can ship via UPS Ground instead of USPS Air Mail. Potted plants can also be shipped year-round.

We regularly top our 1 gallon bamboo plants at 24-30 inches tall throughout the growing season. This results in dense, bushy foliage while allowing for economical shipping. From this size most running species will grow to 5-6 feet tall in the first spring and clumping species will usually grow to 4-5 feet tall.

1 gallon bamboo plants strapped in and ready to be sealed.

Unpacking Bare Root Plants

You will be sent tracking details as soon as your plants are shipped. Unpack your plants as quickly as possible after they are delivered. We use two types of boxes, side-sealing and top-sealing. For boxes that are taped along the whole length you can cut the tape on either side and remove the plant bundles by cutting the tape holding the bundle to the bottom. For boxes that are sealed on the top and bottom, it is easiet to open the bottom of the box (the shipping label is at the top) and pull the bundle of plants out straight out. Check that the box is empty as there can be a second bundle of plants stuck towards the top.

A bundle of trees.

When you are ready to plant, remove the trees from the plastic and soak the roots in a bucket of water for 30 seconds. Do not expose the roots to direct sunlight and do not allow them to dry out. When planting large quantities of plants we keep the plants in a black garbage bag to keep all sun and air flow away from the roots and pull each plant as soon as the planting hole is ready. Water the soil well right after planting.

What if I am not able to plant right away?

You can usually leave the plants in their shipping container unopened for 1-2 days if there were no shipping delays and you have received your plants from late November through February. Plants shipped when it is warmer can't stay in their packages for as long.

Size Availability