Differences Between Bigtooth Aspen Tree & Quaking Aspen Tree
The quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) and the bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata) are two native aspens of North America. Being of the same genus (Populus) they are similar in many ways, but the two common trees of the mountains do share a few basic differences, which distinguishes them as separate species.
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Bark
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The most noticeable difference may be in the bark. In maturity the quaking aspen has the whiter bark, which is also distinguished by long horizontal bands of wart-like growth. The bigtooth aspen has dark green or even brown bark.
Leaf
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Both trees are named after a characteristic of the leaf. The bigtooth leaf is larger (3 to 4 inches), coarsely toothed and egg-shaped, while the quaking aspen has a smaller leaf (1 to 3 inches) that is circular, fine-toothed and shakes in the wind.
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Buds
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The bigtooth aspen has buds that are covered with white hairs, while those of the quaking aspen have no hairs.
Range
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Although the range of these two trees does overlap in places like Maine, upstate New York, Wisconsin and Minnesota, the bigtooth aspen is found more in the eastern half of the United States including the southern Appalachians. The quaking aspen has a more northern and western range. It is the picturebook tree of the Rocky Mountains.
Growth Pattern
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The quaking aspen is a common fire pioneer (one of the first trees to take root after a forest fire) and it can often form vast stands, consisting of only the one species of tree. The bigtooth can often be found in the Northeastern forests or growing on the slopes of the Appalachians, alongside many other trees.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Andy B.
