Aspen mainly grows in the central strip of Russia, Transbaikalia, Vologda Oblast. From some parts of the tree, medicines and animal feed are made. Aspen is used in landscape design. An adult plant is a good honey plant, a building material.
Tree description
Common aspen, or trembling poplar, reaches a height of 35 m. Typically, the trunk is straight, columnar. Diameter up to one meter. The bark is thin, smooth to the touch, gray-olive color. Lentils are formed on it with age, resembling a black rhombus in shape (see photo). The tree is frost-resistant, grows well on moist acidified soils, in shaded places.
From other genera, species, for example, poplar, it differs in the form of leaves, flowers that appear in early spring. The leaves are round-rhombic, with a serrated frame, the width is greater than the length. Cuttings are thin, flattened, so the leaves are easily in contact with each other. In the wind, aspen trembles. The front side of the leaves is shiny, bright green, dull matte, but slightly lighter. Leaves of a lower order are larger, up to 15 cm in length, have a pointed top, heart-shaped, along the edge of a serrated-toothed frame, pubescent from the underside. The leaves of young shoots are more like the leaves of poplars.
In the spring, inflorescences appear on the trees. The shape is similar to earrings, bisexual. Women's light green, men's bright purple. In the fall, seed boxes are formed. After ripening, the boxes open, seeds with a crest are carried by the wind.
Application
The bark can be harvested for the winter, used for food. Helps relieve fatigue.
In the hunger years, aspen bast, well dried, powdered, was added to the flour.
Branches of the first tier are still put in sauerkraut. This prevents fermentation processes, helps preserve workpieces until spring.
Natural cure
Pine leaves contain many organic acids, easily digestible carbohydrates, carotene, vitamin C, anthocyanins, flavonoids. The infusion, brewed from the leaves, has a mild expectorant property, helps to increase the intensity of perspiration. Using aspen, you can quickly recover from a cold. Leaves are used to combat hemorrhoids. Tinctures from the bark help to remove phlegm, stimulate the immune system, treat diseases of the joints, genitourinary system, reduce blood sugar, pain with pancreatitis, improve digestion, and stimulate appetite. Young shoots are used to stop bleeding, alcohol burns treat burns, eczema, and other skin diseases. Baths from aspen broth soothe.
Soil improvement
Autumn aspen throws off a lot of leaves. They decompose in the earth faster than the leaves of other trees. The roots grow, capturing an area of 160 m2. When the plant dies, passages remain in the ground into which other tall trees deepen. Aspen trees often land on clay degraded soils. After some time, favorable conditions are formed for the growth of other more capricious plants.
Opportunities for Landscaping
Application:
- Creation of wind protection lines.
- Strengthening the banks of ravines, rivers, lakes.
- Formation of an aspen natural fence on the border of the steppe and forest to protect representatives of the steppe fauna from penetration.
- Greening the streets in a short time.
- Arrangement of fire plantings.
Highly decorative properties. In spring and summer, the tree is covered with a thick green hat, in autumn - bright red. There are varieties with weeping tiers, pyramidal forms. Used to create a personal landscape.
Construction application
The greatest value is wood aged 40–45 years. In an adult tree, it is white, the texture of the pattern is weakly expressed. The structure is soft, but homogeneous, dries moderately, practically does not crack. According to the European standard scale (EN 350-2: 1994) it belongs to the class of unstable rocks, therefore it is not used in the construction of residential premises. Lumber is used to create shingles. During the construction of wooden churches, a ploughshare is used - aspen planks needed to cover church chapters.
Due to its low density, wood tolerates moisture well. The material is suitable for the construction of wells, cellars, baths.
Due to its low density, low resin content, and the absence of a large number of knots, it is used for the manufacture of interior decoration elements for Russian baths and Finnish saunas. The match industry for the production of its products takes aspen wood as a basis. At fairs of arts and crafts you can also often find beautiful products from this plant.
Aspen on a personal plot
You can plant aspen seeds, but growth and development will be long. It is better to find a wild grove in the neighborhood, to dig there already grown seedlings. They need to be located at a distance of two meters from each other. If you plant trees closer, they will grow, become like a dense shrub.
Aspen has a highly branched root system. Therefore, the tree cannot be planted closer than 12 m from the buildings. Otherwise, the roots will damage the foundation, drainage system, communications.
Seedlings are unpretentious, grow on any soil, but before planting, they add mineral fertilizers to the dug holes. Make a drainage layer, pouring a ten-centimeter layer of rubble into the pit. Plants are planted in early spring, immediately after snow leaves the ground.
Aspen is a dense but moisture-loving tree. If the seedling grows in dry soil, it will die. Therefore, as the soil dries, it is necessary to moisten abundantly.
Caring for a tree is simple, it comes down to watering the plant in the first four years of growth. Top dressing is required only during planting. A solution of cow manure is poured into the pit, prepared in a proportion of 1 kg per 20 liters of water. The wide-spread root system of an adult tree itself will find everything that is needed for growth and development.
Aspen, which is more than fifty years old, needs to be cut down, processed: over time, the trunk becomes rotten, with a strong gust of wind it can break. Overgrowth of stumps quickly grows, it is easy to form a hedge from it.
Varieties
There are trees not with green, but with gray bark. The base of their trunk is noticeably darker than the upper part. There are early, late varieties that differ from each other by the time the leaves appear.
There are aspens up to 140 m in height. They have a triploid set of chromosomes. There is a rounded barrel. It is used to make furniture. For planting on personal plots, decorative forms are used that have a weeping, pyramidal crown. They get along well with conifers.
Aspen is suitable for landscape design only if there is a large area of land. The tree grows quickly, is unpretentious in leaving, well forms a green volume. It is possible to make shrubs from decorative rocks, to form hedges.