Aspen Tree – Growing in Atlanta

Q: I love the aspen trees in Colorado and would like to plant some here. Could I plant them here in the city (Atlanta)?

A: Theresa Schrum replies: “I just loved the Aspen trees when I was in Wyoming in March.

Did you know that when you see a clump of Aspen trees (sometimes covering several acres) that this is one plant? The roots of a single plant can cover acres and what you see are actually root suckers that sprout in various locations. Aspens are the largest land organisms.

Here is an excerpt from a scientific web site: “1992 seemed to be out to break a record of its own, when a third group of scientists announced in May of that year that a stand of quaking aspen trees in southern Utah had both species of Armillaria beat, at least in the weight division. Spreading up and down mountainsides over 50 hectares, this single genetic individual has sprouted upwards of 47,000 individual trunks from its roots, with an estimated weight of over 5,000 metric tons. And that’s just above ground. While the original report cited only field characteristics as proof of its genetic unity, subsequent DNA analysis confirmed the result.”

Now, to your original question – can you grow them in Atlanta? I don’t think so. Our summers are too hot for too long, our winters are too warm, we have too much rainfall at the wrong time with the wrong type of soil. I think there are just too many “too’s” to successfully grow the plant here.

But, what the hey? There’s no harm in trying and it may work. I say give it a try and let us know what happens. The link below is on the Aspen:”

Aspen, Quaking