Sheffield's Seed Company Page

Populus tremula, commonly known as European Aspen, is a medium-sized deciduous tree that can grow up to 25 meters tall with a trunk up to 1 meter in diameter. With its pale greenish-grey bark and smooth texture on young trees, mature trees develop dark grey diamond-shaped lenticels and fissured bark. The adult leaves are nearly round with slightly wider than long margins that are coarsely toothed, with a laterally flattened petiole. The bark and leaves have been used for medicinal purposes, being mildly diuretic, expectorant, and stimulant. This tree is not to be confused with the American Aspen, also known as trembling Aspen. Populus tremula is native to cool temperate regions of Europe and Asia and can be found from Iceland to central Spain, north to Scandinavia and northern Russia, and south to North Korea and northern Japan. It is a water and light demanding species that can vigorously colonize open areas after damage or clearing. Aspen is very hardy, tolerating long cold winters and short summers, and is resistant to browsing pressure from fallow deer. Its wood is valued in the pulp and paper industry, and the tree plays an essential role in producing wood for renewable energy. The aspen is found in cultivation in parks and large gardens, and its fastigiate cultivar ‘Erecta’ has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.