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Common Name: Canadian Aspen

General Information

Populus grandidentata is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 20.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

North-eastern N. America - Nova Scotia to Manitoba, south to North Carolina.

Habitat

Rich moist sandy soils near streams and the borders of swamps from sea level to 900 metres[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	20.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

An easily grown plant, it does well in a heavy cold damp soil[]. Prefers a deep rich well-drained circumneutral soil, growing best in the south and east of Britain[, ]. Growth is much less on wet soils, on poor acid soils and on thin dry soils[]. It does not do well in exposed upland sites[]. It dislikes shade and is intolerant of root or branch competition[].
A fast-growing but short-lived tree[], it does not appear to thrive in Britain[], though it is extensively planted for timber in Austria[].
Trees usually produce suckers and form large thickets in the wild[].
This species is closely related to P. tremula[].
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[].
A dioecious species - both male and female forms must be grown if fruit and seed are required.
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[].

Edible Uses

Inner bark - boiled[, , , , ]. There are no more details but inner bark is often dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread.

Medicinal

The bark of most, if not all members of the genus contain salicin, a glycoside that probably decomposes into salicylic acid (aspirin) in the body[, ]. The bark is therefore anodyne, anti-inflammatory, febrifuge and tonic[, ]. It is used especially in treating rheumatism and fevers, and also to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps[]. An infusion of the bark has been used to ease and lessen menstrual flow[].

Other Uses

An excellent pioneer species, establishing well and growing quickly. It provides good growing conditions for other woodland trees. Since this species is intolerant of shade, it will eventually be out-competed by the other trees[].
Wood - soft, rather woolly in texture, without smell or taste, of low flammability, not durable, very resistant to abrasion[, , ]. It weighs 29lb per cubic foot[]. Used mainly for pulp, it makes a high quality paper[, , , ].

Propagation

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 cold 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 late autumn in a sheltered outdoor bed. This species does not root readily from cuttings[].
Suckers in early spring[].
Layering in spring[].
Root cuttings in the winter[]