An elegant native poplar, identifiable in summer by sound alone, as its flattened petioles let leaves tremble in the gentlest breeze, hence ‘Quaking Aspen’ and its epithet. Sometimes called European Aspen to distinguish it from American Aspen (Populus tremuloides).

Its native range is enormous, across the whole of north-west Europe from high-latitude Scandinavia to the Mediterranean fringe, and also eastern Europe, Japan, Russia and North Africa (Algeria). It grows throughout Britain, including uplands, with one of the widest distributions of any tree, and is a little less frequent in Ireland, especially the east and midlands.

Dioecious, female trees bearing green catkins that, once fertilised, release fluffy wind-borne seeds. A pioneer, it reproduces by seed or clonally by suckering, forming large clonal stands (over 1,000 stems recorded). Very good at recolonising after natural or artificial disturbance. Individual trees are slow-growing and short-lived, yet suckering clones can endure for thousands of years. A parent of the hybrid Grey Poplar.

Usually to 25m, slender and fast-growing. Bark cream, pitted with diamond lenticels. Twigs brown, glabrous, shiny; buds spirally arranged, very sharp-pointed. Leaves variable: juvenile ones ovate with pointed tips, adult ones round with blunt teeth, downy then smooth, on very long (7cm) flattened petioles that let them tremble. Male catkins 5-8cm, green-red with yellow pollen, in late winter; female green-pink, releasing fluffy seeds in May-June. Foliage turns bright golden in autumn.

Tolerates a wide range of soils, including rocky outcrops, but dislikes waterlogged sites. Not shade-bearing, preferring full sun. Easily propagated by taking cuttings.

A pioneer supporting forest regeneration, associated with many insects, fungi and lichens (including rare ‘leafy’ Lobaria). Old hollow-stemmed trees suit nesting birds. In Scotland’s Caledonian pinewoods it is a keystone species with Scots Pine, Common Juniper and Downy Birch, and a favourite of the Eurasian Beaver (Castor fiber), increasingly established since its early-2000s reintroduction. It may thrive under climate change and help diversify conifer monocultures.

Generally healthy but prone to several fungal diseases, including cankers, leaf rusts and poplar scab. Threatened by browsing mammals in natural ecosystems as its foliage is highly palatable.

Important for biodiversity and landscape, its timber was also once valued and makes superior charcoal. The wood is soft and low-density yet flexible, once popular for arrow shafts, many recovered from a Tudor warship. There is commercial interest in it for biomass and composite boards such as plywood.