European aspen

A very easily grown plant, it does well in a heavy cold damp soil, preferring a neutral to acid soil, and avoiding calcareous soils[11, 24]. The sub-species P. tremula davidiana. (Dode.)Schneid. is tolerant of extremely alkaline soils. The species generally prefers a deep rich well-drained circumneutral soil, growing best in the south and east of Britain[11, 200]. Growth is much less on wet soils, on poor acid soils and on thin dry soils. This species grows well on poor soils, probably because of its intolerance of competition. Plants are very tolerant of exposure, doing well in cold exposed sites so long as sufficient moisture is present. Plants dislike shade, and are intolerant of root or branch competition. A fast growing tree but it is short-lived. Trees produce suckers freely and can form dense thickets. The aspen is a very good wildlife plant, it has over 90 associated insect species and is a food plant for the green hairstreak butterfly. Poplars have very extensive and aggressive root systems that can invade and damage drainage systems. Especially when grown on clay soils, they should not be planted within 12 metres of buildings since the root system can damage the building's foundations by drying out the soil. Can be planted to improve heavy clay soils in neglected woodlands. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. Special Features:Not North American native, Wetlands plant, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms. References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information Temperature Converter Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit: Celsius Fahrenheit: The PFAF Bookshop Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants , Edible Perennials , Edible Trees , Edible Shrubs , Woodland Gardening , and Temperate Food Forest Plants . Our new book is Food Forest Plants For Hotter Conditions (Tropical and Sub-Tropical) . Shop Now

Edible Parts: Inner bark Edible Uses: Inner bark - dried, ground into a powder then added to flour and used for making bread etc[2, 115]. A famine food, it is only used when all else fails. References More on Edible Uses

Seed - must be sown as soon as it is ripe in spring. Poplar seed has an extremely short period of viability and needs to be sown within a few days of ripening. Surface sow or just lightly cover the seed in trays in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the old frame. If sufficient growth is made, it might be possible to plant them out in late summer into their permanent positions, otherwise keep them in the cold frame until the following late spring and then plant them out. Most poplar species hybridize freely with each other, so the seed may not come true unless it is collected from the wild in areas with no other poplar species growing. Cuttings of mature wood in November/December in a sheltered outdoor bed. This species is rather difficult from cuttings[11, 113]. Suckers in early spring. Root cuttings in the winter.