Aspen Tree

There are only two types of aspen in North America. The one we have in Sutton is the Big Tooth Aspen, or Populus grandidentata. The other type, for the curious, is the quaking aspen, which is found mostly out west and has white bark.

Aspens seem not to be very useful trees. People make particle board out of them, and they even use this wood to "bulk out" cattle feed! Very scary! My boyfriend says they use the wood for guitars sometimes. Still, not something you can imagine settlers raving over. They went much more for the pine and oak trees.

Still, in the fall aspen trees turn quite pretty colors.



For the longest time I had this tree confused with the Witch Hazel tree. Aspens have white birch-barch trunks. Witch hazel has grey, bendy trunks.

Trees of Sutton Massachusetts

Massachusetts Foliage Photo Collection
Sutton Massachusetts Photo Album