Practical
Plants

Populus tremuloides

American Aspen

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Populus genus in the family Salicaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Populus
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
20 m
Spread
10 m
Fertility
Self sterile, Wind
Flower type
dioecious
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Inner bark - raw or cooked[17]. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a flour[19][2][9][11][17]. This is normally mixed with other flours for making bread etc and can also be used as a thickener in soups. It is best used in the spring[8]. Sap - can be tapped and used as a drink[2][6][9]. It has also been used as a flavouring with wild strawberries[17]. Catkins - raw or cooked. Bitter[8].

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Inner bark
Plant part
Sap

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

American aspen has a long history of herbal use. It was widely employed medicinally by many native North American Indian tribes who valued it especially for its antiseptic and analgesic qualities, using it in the treatment of wounds, skin complaints and respiratory disorders[17]. It is used for the same purposes in modern herbalism. The stem bark is anodyne, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, febrifuge, nervine and stimulant[18][19][7][11][16]. The bark contains salicylates, from which the proprietary medicine aspirin is derived[16]. It is used internally in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, gout, lower back pains, urinary complaints, digestive and liver disorders, debility, anorexia, also to reduce fevers and relieve the pain of menstrual cramps[16]. Externally, the bark is used to treat chilblains, haemorrhoids, infected wounds and sprains[16]. The bark is harvested from side branches or coppiced trees and dried for later use[16]. An infusion of the inner bark is considered to be a remedy for coughs[11] and an appetite stimulant, it is also used in the treatment of stomach pains, urinary ailments, VD, worms, colds and fevers[12]. The root is poulticed and applied to cuts and wounds[12]. A tea from the root bark is used as a treatment for excessive menstrual bleeding[12]. The leaf buds are used as a salve for colds, coughs and irritated nostrils[12].

Product or use
Alterative
Product or use
Anodyne
Product or use
Antiinflammatory
Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Diaphoretic
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Febrifuge
Product or use
Nervine
Product or use
Poultice
Product or use
Salve
Product or use
Stimulant

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A fast-growing tree, it rapidly invades bare areas such as logged woodland and soon establishes dense stands of young trees by sending up suckers[13][14]. It provides excellent conditions for other species of trees to become established and these will eventually out-compete the poplar[14]. The bark has been used to make hats[17]. The bark has sometimes been used for cordage[17]. Wood - soft, light, weak, close-grained, rather woolly in texture, without smell or taste, of low flammability, not durable, very resistant to abrasion[3][19][5][13][14]. It weighs 25lb per cubic foot[15]. Not strong enough for furniture or construction, it is occasionally used for fences, railings and barn doors, is excellent for cheap crates and boxes and is widely used for pulp, producing a high quality paper[3][19][5][13][14].

Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Environment

Range
N. America - Alaska to Newfoundland, south to Mexico.
Habitat
A pioneer species of old fields, logged or burnt land, it is found in a range of soils from shallow, rocky or clay soils to rich sandy ones. It grows best in rich porous soils with plenty of lime[14]
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 1+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - must be sown as soon as it is ripe in spring[4]. Poplar seed has an extremely short period of viability and needs to be sown within a few days of ripening[10]. Surface sow or just lightly cover the seed in trays in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the cold frame. If sufficient growth is made, it might be possible to plant them out in late summer into their permanent positions, otherwise keep them in the cold frame until the following late spring and then plant them out. Most poplar species hybridize freely with each other, so the seed may not come true unless it is collected from the wild in areas with no other poplar species growing[3]. Cuttings of mature wood in November/December in a sheltered outdoor bed. This species is rather difficult from cuttings[3][4]. Suckers in early spring[20]. Root cuttings in the winter[10]. Layering[10].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An easily grown plant, it does well in a heavy cold damp soil[1]. Prefers a deep rich well-drained circumneutral soil, growing best in the south and east of Britain[3][10]. Growth is much less on wet soils, on poor acid soils and on thin dry soils[3]. This species is often found on dry soils in its native habitat and could possibly succeed on dry soils in cultivation[K]. Unlike most members of the genus, this species is drought tolerant once it is established[13]. It is fairly wind tolerant, though it does not do well in exposed upland sites[3]. It dislikes shade and is intolerant of root or branch competition[10]. A fast-growing species that is quite short-lived, though occasional specimens live to almost 200 years[14]. Poplars have very extensive and aggressive root systems that can invade and damage drainage systems. Especially when grown on clay soils, they should not be planted within 12 metres of buildings since the root system can damage the building's foundations by drying out the soil[3]. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[10].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

  4. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

    ↩1↩2

  5. ? Encyclopaedia Britannica. 15th edition.

    ↩1↩2

  6. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

    ↩

  7. Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.

    ↩

  8. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

    ↩1↩2

  9. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  10. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  11. Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6

    ↩1↩2↩3

  12. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  13. Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0889025649

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  14. Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  15. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

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  16. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  17. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  18. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩

  19. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  20. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

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