Swedish Columnar Aspen

Description:

Columnar Swedish Aspens are deciduous trees with strong upright shaft and oval serrated leaves which are green for the season before turning yellow in the fall. The bark is greyish and has a furrowed texture.

Habitat:

This particular Swedish Aspen is situated against the fence near the West Barn entrance in the botanical wetlands. It is planted in a row of other Columnar Aspen with 1.5m spacing on both sides. The tree is exposed from both the South and North, a chain link fence and 2 meters separate it from the road.

Notes:

The overall health of the tree is questionable with a few areas in concern. The primary aspect in question is the state of the bark as there are many puncture holes/breaks in the bark. There appear to be chunks missing the whole way up the shaft and on the branches. Near the bottom there is a decimeter long gash with a reddish brown discoloration. This tree may be suffering from a number of issues which are contributing to it’s questionable health. While in some aspects the damage resembles the poplar boher, when looking at the complete spectrum I do not think this is the case. The holes in the bark are not leaking sap and there doesn’t appear to be any traces of sawdust which is a common trace of bohers. I believe that this tree has some kind insect or larva living on or under the bark. It may be aphids which are then being targeted by local birds. The hole/puncture wounds may have been caused by birds looking for insects. As for the discoloration near the bottom, I believe that a bacterial or fungal infection is in the early stages of affecting the tree. Typically wetwood/slime flux targets mature trees so I am hesitant to diagnose such a young tree, but I believe that is what is happening here. The staining seams to match and there is also appears to be drip marks on the backside. Wetwood is not typically problematic but it should be monitored. There is no satisfactory way to control wetwood, however fertilizer may be applied to promote growth and lessen wetwood severity. As for the holes and potential internal insect damage, this tree should be closely monitored to see if the damage progresses or spreads to other trees.