Also called Quakies, American aspen, ◼︎ golden aspen, 🗻︎ mountain aspen, trembling aspen, popple, trembling poplar, ◼︎ white poplar (although do not confuse with sister-species
◼︎ white poplar Populus alba
and
bigtooth aspen Populus grandidentata,
which are also sometimes called that), and more.
Part of
aspen/cottonwood/poplar genus Populus
in
willow family Salicaceae.
Native to 🇨🇦 Canada, and northern or 🗻︎ mountainous 🇺🇸 USA, extending into Texas and 🇲🇽 México (probably in canyons).
🗺 Map by county (🇺🇸 USA-48),
🗺 map (North America, Central America), 
🗺 today + with climate change (eastern 🇺🇸 USA).
🏛🌳︎ State tree of Utah.
Uses by native peoples
(Ethnobotany database)
Populus hosts caterpillars of 367 species
of butterflies and moths, in some areas.
This plant is also known to be a host for (in areas where invasive)
🐝︎ spotted lanternfly (SLF) Lycorma delicatula.
Often grows in clonal colonies
[1]
— look around for other stems!
A clonal colony of quaking aspen in Utah called Pando is thought to be at least old.
[2]
[3]
Aspen is well-adapted to 🔥︎ fire — after a fire, it produces new trunks from its roots or trunk base.
Aspen often grows with
jack pine Pinus banksiana
— after a fire, both grow fast and eventually would get ⛱ shaded out by
spruce genus Picea
and
fir genus Abies,
until again invigorated by the next cycle of fire.
Propagation protocol.
References
[1]
"Clonal colony." Wikipedia.
Accessed .
[2]
"This Tree Started Growing During the Viking Age." Live Science. .
Accessed .
[3]
"World's Largest Organism Is Slowly Being Eaten, Scientist Says." Science Alert. .
[By deer.] Accessed .