Populus grandidentata — the large-tooth, or big-tooth, aspen — is a deciduous

Deciduous

Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...

 tree native to eastern North America.

Name

The name Populus grandidentata references the coarse teeth that occur on the leaves from the Latin Populus for poplar, grandi meaning large, and dentata meaning teeth.

Description

Populus gradidentata is a medium-sized deciduous tree native to North America, found mostly in the northeastern states and southeastern Canada. Leaves are similar to trembling aspen only slightly larger and having larger teeth. The leaves tremble in the wind as quaking/trembling aspen does. Bark of younger trees is olive-green, thin and smooth; after 30–40 years the bark is grey, thicker and rough with grooves.

Reproduction

Bigtooth aspen produce seeds from the flowers, known as catkins, that the tree produces. The product is a two-valved capsule that is distributed widely by the wind. Individuals can also reproduce through the roots after a disturbance event; such as fire or harvest, the roots of the dead/cut tree will begin to send up suckers, creating identical individuals and can result in a stand of clones that resemble that individual.

Growth

Bigtooth aspen are dioecious

Dioecious

Dioecy is the property of a group of biological organisms that have males and females, but not members that have organs of both sexes at the same time. I.e., those whose individual members can usually produce only one type of gamete; each individual organism is thus distinctly female or male...

, medium-sized deciduous trees with a straight trunk and gently ascending branches. Height at maturity is around 60'-80' with diameters of 8'-10'. They are fast growers and are relatively short-lived; stands will begin to deteriorate after 60–70 years, while individuals can live up to 100 years. They often constitute early successional species of their landscapes. Roots are shallow and wide spreading; lateral root growth in a forest may be as far as 60 feet. Generally, four to five lateral roots originate from the tree and then branch within 2'; vertical, penetrating roots near the base anchor the tree.

Distribution

The range of Populus grandidentata extends from Virginia north to Maine and Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia; west to southeastern Manitoba and Minnesota; south through Iowa to extreme northeastern Missouri; and east through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia. Disjunct populations are found in Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Ecology

The species is able to adapt to a wide range of soils, though it is most abundant on sands, loamy sands and light sandy loams. Big-tooth aspen can tolerate sandy uplands and high rocky sites. The depth to the water table is generally about 5 ft. Soil must be moist but well aerated for good growth. Very shade intolerant; most shaded stems die. Pioneer species on disturbed sites, persisting in successional communities until senescence. Rapid height growth of suckers allows it to outcompete other sprouting species such as Red Oak (Quercus rubra) and Red Maple (Acer rubrum) on many sites. In the absence of disturbance, it is soon replaced by conifers and hardwoods.In the Great Lakes Region at the turn of the century, many mature pine forests were logged and burned. Bigtooth Aspen and Quaking Aspen frequently dominated the postdisturbance forests. Without fire or other disturbance, these forests are being replaced by later successional, shade-tolerant species. Usually grows in even-aged mixed stands, most commonly with Quaking Aspen. Codominant in both hardwood and conifer forests; does not occur as a subdominant because of its extreme shade intolerance. Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) is the predominant species in aspen stands in the Great Lakes Region, but Bigtooth Aspen dominates on the drier upland sites. Aspen stands dominated by Bigtooth Aspen are generally more open than those dominated by Quaking Aspen. More disease resistant than Quaking Aspen. The most serious disease is Hypoxylon Canker (Hypoxylon mammatum). Other rots, fungi, and root decay affect this species. A preferred host of gypsy moth. Death occurs when nearly complete defoliation by gypsy moth is followed by a fungal infection by Armillaria spp. Ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus saxesceni) attacks fire-damaged bigtooth aspen. Commonly occurs in areas that frequently burn, such as large upland areas distant from water and upwind of natural fire breaks such as lakes.

Uses

The wood is light colored, straight grained, finely textured, and soft. It is used primarily for pulp, but can be used to make particle board and structural panels. Minor uses include log homes, pallets, boxes, match splints, chopsticks, hockey stick components, and ladders. The bark is pelletized for fuel and supplemental cattle feed.