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Quaking aspen
Habit (mature) · Walter Siegmund / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5
Limited coverage
Quaking aspen
Populus tremuloides
The most widely distributed tree in North America — a slender, cool-climate deciduous tree famous for nearly round leaves on flattened stalks that flutter ("quake") in the lightest breeze and turn brilliant golden yellow in fall. Smooth greenish-white bark whitens to chalky white with black warty patches as it ages. In the wild, aspens grow in clonal groves rising from one shared root system, so an entire grove can be a single genetic individual, all male or all female.
Native: 38 US states + 13 CA provinces
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: broad (71/100)
Structure
Focal point
Light
Full sun
Water
Consistent moisture
Mature size
240-600" tall · 240" apart
Hardy in zones
1a-6b
brutally cold to cold winters
Summer heat range
Cool-Mild
cool to mild summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
Yes
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A documented larval host for the Eastern tiger swallowtail and 5 other species — caterpillars feed on its foliage before becoming the next generation.
Wildlife relationships
Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Marginal
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Won't grow here
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
⚠→✕
Marginal today, but likely out of range by 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/quaking-aspen
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited18 source-backed.
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
Botanical research database
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY 2.5
Backs 1 field
Image
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
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