Quaking Aspen

Description:

Medium sized tree with whitish trunks and fluttering green leaves that turn golden yellow in the autumn. Bark is smooth and doesn't peel like a paper birch tree. They are often found in groves that can be part of a single plant, each stem is connected to a common root system. Leaves are circular to diamond-shaped.

Habitat:

Spotted on a sandy gravely slope on County Rd 29 at Tamarac NWR. Quaking aspen grows on many soil types, but does best where soils are moist and sunshine is plentiful.