Trees🌿 Native to the NetherlandsVery hardy — tolerates frost down to -30°C

Aspen / European Aspen

Populus tremula

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Aspen (Populus tremula) is a native poplar that can grow as a tall shrub or tree. The species occurs mainly in forest edges, hedgerows, coppice, shrubberies, clearings, open forests, dunes, roadsides and along railways. The round to broadly ovoid leaves stand on long, flattened leaf stalks, causing them to visibly tremble in the slightest wind. That is what Aspen owes its name to. In March and April, Aspen blooms with hanging catkins, before the leaf has fully sprouted. The species is dioecious: male and female catkins are on separate trees. Aspen grows well on light, usually weakly acidic sand, loam and peat soil and fits well in forest edges, bird thickets, landscape planting, natural garden planting and pioneer planting.

Year calendar

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
🌸Blooms
🐝Provides nectar
🍓Bears fruit
🍂Has autumn colour

Pruning period

✂️Best pruning period: Jan, Feb, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
✂️ Pruning period

Best pruning period

Aspen needs little pruning. Remove only dead, crossing or unwanted branches during winter dormancy. Take into account root suckers, because the species can form new shoots locally.

Botanical profile

Site & soil

Sun, Half shade

Soil type: Clay, Sand, Loam, Peat

Moisture need: Dry, Moderately moist, Moist

pH: Acidic (<5.5), Slightly acidic (5.5–6.5), Neutral (6.5–7.5), Chalky (>7.5)

Nutrient richness: Nutrient-poor, Moderately nutrient-rich, Nutrient-rich

Humus content: Humus-poor, Moderately humus-rich, Peaty

Water drainage: Well draining, Moisture-retentive

Appearance & season

Mature height: 600-3000cm

Bloom: Mar-Apr

Autumn colour: Golden yellow to yellow. The ornamental value lies mainly in the trembling leaf, the early catkins, the light bark and the bright autumn color.

Properties

Salt sensitive: No

Edible: No

Scent: The catkins have no strong floral scent. Buds and young twigs can smell slightly resinous to balsamic, especially when rubbed or bruised.

Ecological value

Aspen is ecologically very valuable for caterpillars, leaf beetles, birds and insects of forest edges and pioneer forests. The leaves are used by many leaf-eating insects and caterpillars. As a result, birds that feed their young with caterpillars and other small insects also benefit. The catkins provide pollen early in the year, but Aspen is mainly wind-pollinated and is not a strong nectar plant. The tree provides structure, shade, nesting and dead-wood value in natural planting. Through root suckers, Aspen can form groups that give extra cover to birds and small animals.

Food web & Biodiversity

🐛 Caterpillars & mothsVery useful

🐝 Bees & bumblebeesLimited

🪰 HoverfliesLimited

🦋 ButterfliesUseful

🪲 Beetles & insectsVery useful

🐦 BirdsVery useful

🐿️ MammalsVery useful

🐞 Other animalsUseful

Aspen is especially valuable as a native pioneer tree for forest edges, clearings and light sandy soils. The species provides plenty of leaf food for insects, forms cover and is very striking due to the trembling leaf.

Distribution in the Netherlands