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Popples and Aspens
Article #382, April 2026
By Bill Cook

Popples and aspens are members of the Salicaceae family, which Linnaeus named for their cousin, the willows, that are in the same family.  “Salix” is the Latin name the Romans used for willow.  Salicylic acid, found in willow bark, is known for its medicinal properties.  It forms the base for acetylsalicylic acid, which is the chemical name for aspirin. 
 
    There are four Michigan tree species of “Populus” in the willow family, and then about 18 species of willows, of which three or four grow to tree size.  Two of the “Populus” species use popple or poplar as a common name; quaking aspen and bigtooth aspen.  The other two Populus species are cottonwood and balsam poplar (or balm-of-Gilead or bam or others). 
    As a family, the Salicaceae account for about eleven percent of Michigan’s forest volume.  Over 80 percent of the family volume consists of the aspens, or the popples.  The aspens are among the most important Michigan commercial species and are highly valuable for many species of wildlife, especially the huntable species.  Ruffed grouse is the poster-child for aspen dependency. 
    Commercially, aspen is a major player in oriented-strand board (OSB), a common building product, as well as various grades of paper.  Prior to OSB production, aspens were considered “weed trees” across much of the region.  It’s a good example of industry adapting itself to the forest resource. 
    Foresters and botanists tend to use the word aspen because it’s clearer about which species.  Popple usually means aspen, a decent synonym, but might also include balsam poplar or be confused with other “poplars”, which belong to different plant families. 
    The kissing cousins, quaking aspen and bigtooth aspen, are quite different ecologically.  The quakers are short-lived, grow fast, and usually die violent deaths.  The bigtooths live longer, grow larger, and sport a more conservative lifestyle. 
    Most of the family members possess flattened petioles, or leaf stems.  This structure allows the leaf to flitter in even the slightest of breezes.  Quaking aspens have particularly mastered this capability, thus the name quaking or trembling.  Some say that this allows for more photosynthesis. 
    Observing bark differences is the easiest way to distinguish the two aspens, as well as their family cousins.  Quaking aspen has gray to white bark, broken-up with horizontal patterns of black.  There are light and dark variations in the bark.  Bigtooth aspens generally have an olive-colored cast to the bark.  Larger trees of both species lose their smooth texture in favor of a fissured bark texture. 
    Sometimes, quaking aspen is mistaken for paper birch, especially with those light-phase quakers.  However, paper birch has black drooping mustaches, as opposed to the horizontal arrangement on aspen trunks. 
    All members of the Salicaceae bloom in early spring, some before all the snow has melted.  Species are dioecious, meaning there are normally separate male and female trees.  Like the oak family, aspen flowers form in catkins. 
    During the winter, ruffed grouse are particularly fond of female flower buds.  And beavers tend to have a perennial love affair with aspen. 
    The fruits are very tiny but sport a huge amount of fluff, thus the name cottonwood.  During abundant seed years, drifts of “snow” may appear in June, as so well-articulated by Aldo Leopold in his land ethic; “But the farmer’s wife (and hence the farmer) despises all cottonwoods because in June the female tree clogs the screens with cotton.“
    The aspens occupy an early place in forest succession, meaning that they are among the first trees to invade open spaces, especially those of bare ground, such as one would find after a wildfire.  While miles of seed floating across the landscape might find these niches, more often than not, it’s the vigorously sprouting root systems that fill these open spaces. 
          Aspen root systems are intimately grafted to each other.  Dominant forms will develop clones of genetically identical trees.  Such clones can reach sizes of thirty to forty acres, or more. 
    Historically, areas suitable for aspen regeneration were created by fires, pestilence, and other calamities.  Observing the handicraft of nature, foresters use clearcutting to build new stands of aspen, preferring to avoid the native instigators when possible. 
    Woodcock, most certainly, appreciate these efforts.
    However, a failure to understand the life cycle requirements of aspen, clearcutting sometimes generates public objection to the change in visual quality.  You see, aspens require full sunlight for those baby trees.  Even as little as 30 percent shade can significantly reduce survival.  But, given access to the open sky, one can almost hear those sprouts growing during a quiet summer day. 
    What happens if one does nothing in the manner of active management?  Most likely, other tree species will invade under the senescent aspen.  Within a couple of decades, a different kind of forest will emerge.  This successional pathway might be preferrable to some.  However, to retain aspen’s role in the forest landscape, some sort of major disturbance is required. 
          New forests are all about disturbance, in one manner or another. 
   
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Quaking aspen leaves.	Bigtooth aspen leaves.
Quaking aspen bark with horizontal texture.	Olive-colored bark of a bigtooth aspen.
Paper birch bark with black “mustaches”.	One-year-old aspen sprouts after a clearcut.
Male flowers of a quaking aspen.	Female flowers of a quaking aspen.

TRAILER- This website was created by a consortium of forestry groups to help streamline information about forestry and coordinate forestry activities designed to benefit the family forest owner and various publics that make up our Michigan citizenry.  This website is maintained by Bill Cook, Retired Michigan State Extension Forester/Biologist.  Direct comments to cookwi@msu.edu.