How to get rid of aspen growth on the site. Common aspen: properties, use of wood

Trembling poplar (aspen) - (Populus tremula L.) is one of the most common types of poplars, belonging to the genus poplar (Populus) of the willow family (Salicaceae). Distribution area: European part of Russia, Caucasus, Western and Eastern Siberia, Far East, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Western Europe, East Asia. It is located on the territory of many nature reserves in the European part of Russia, the Caucasus, Siberia, the Far East, Crimea, and the Baltic states. It grows in different types of forest as an admixture and secondary species, and also occasionally forms pure aspen forests. In the mountains it can rise to a height of 2000 m. In many areas of the Far East, from Kamchatka to Primorye and the Kuril Islands, a species close to aspen grows - David's poplar - Populus davidiana Dode.
In the steppe zone, where it reaches, together with the oak, the southern border of the distribution of forest vegetation, it forms dense thickets along the forest edges, preventing representatives of steppe phytocenoses from penetrating under the forest canopy. This feature of aspen is used to create forest shelterbelts in steppe regions.

This is a large tree up to 35 m high and 1 m in diameter with a sparse crown and light greenish-gray bark. Old branches are very “broken”, with clearly visible leaf scars. Young shoots are round, without ribs or stripes, often bare and as if varnished, but sometimes slightly pubescent, greenish or greenish-brown in color. Aspen prefers rich, well-moistened soils. Light-loving and very winter-hardy. Like all poplars, aspen is a dioecious plant, but not with a clear distinction between the sexes. Many trees have flowers of both sexes, but one of them is strongly predominant (usually male). Some trees have flowers of only one sex.
Flower buds are thick, dark, greenish-chestnut or red-brown, not very sticky, initially pubescent, then bare. Aspen blooms at the end of April, long before the leaves bloom. Male catkins with brownish-brown scales, when blooming, sharply lengthen (up to 10 cm), and their yellowish-green pollen is carried by the wind for many kilometers.

Aspen seeds

The seeds ripen a month after pollination (at the end of May). The fruit is a capsule with small seeds. The seeds are very small and equipped with white silky hairs - flies. The seeds begin to fall out of the capsules by the end of May.

Thanks to the hairs, seeds are easily transported over long distances. Aspen bears fruit annually and abundantly, but its seedlings appear rarely, since this requires very favorable conditions, and the germination rate of seeds drops extremely quickly.

Aspen leaves

Leaf buds are 5-10 mm long, bare, sticky, usually pressed to the shoot. Aspen leaves are gray-green, round, leathery, crenate (round-toothed), wedge-shaped or slightly heart-shaped at the base, gray-green, slightly pubescent during the growth period, later glabrous.

They sit on long petioles flattened laterally. This does not allow the petioles to bend, but makes the leaf blade oscillate and tremble even with slight air movement, for which the tree was so named.

Glands at the ends of the lower leaf teeth can secrete nectar when young.

Aspen bark

The aspen bark is first smooth gray-green, then fissured dark gray.

Aspen root system

The aspen root system is powerful, superficial, consisting of very long roots that diverge in different directions from the tree by 25 and even 30 m. The root system is moisture-loving, requires aeration and is not cold-resistant. Therefore, aspen does not grow on dry sandy and frozen soils. Unlike other poplars, aspen cannot withstand prolonged flooding and therefore is not found on low floodplains.

Aspen propagation

Aspen reproduces mainly by root shoots, which grow very quickly and have very large rounded or broadly ovate leaves with an elongated apex. Stump growth forms only on the stumps of young aspens, the butt part of which has not yet had time to become crusty. The appearance of root shoots is stimulated by forest fires, which warm the dormant buds of very shallow roots.
The root shoots of aspen are photophilous and soon die under the closed canopy of tree stands. But when the forest stand burns out and in clearings, they produce dense growth. In the first year of life, coppice specimens of aspen are distinguished by long and intensive growth: their maximum daily growth reaches 6 cm and the maximum height is more than 2 m (according to observations in the forest-steppe zone). In the northern regions, the value of these indicators is 3 times less. Then the growth of the shoots slows down significantly. This allows coniferous species to overtake aspen in growth even before it dies, which leads to a change in the dominant species.
Aspens have one very characteristic feature - its horizontal roots can grow together both in one tree and with the roots of other trees, which in some cases leads to the creation of a single root system. As a rule, root fusion begins at a young age in the case of mutual pressure and most often when the roots are located at an angle of 90° to each other or close to it.

Aspen forests

Aspen is often considered a nurse tree in relation to spruce. Under the “lighter” crown of the aspen, the spruce quickly regenerates and its undergrowth grows. Aspen leaves enrich the soil well due to the fact that they decompose faster than the leaves of other forest trees. Finally, the roots of the spruce go significantly deeper into the soil, often along passages formed from rotten aspen roots.

Aspens have many different life forms. For example, in aspen forests you can often find forms with green or gray bark. In the latter, the base of the trunks is usually much darker than in the greenbarks. The difference in the color of the bark is especially noticeable in the spring, before flowering, at a time when intense sap flow begins. Individual aspen trees also differ in the timing of leaf bloom, so in the spring you can notice “early” and “late” specimens in terms of leaf appearance. In addition, there are individuals that are distinguished by vigorous growth and are considered “gigantic” and are therefore valuable in forestry. This form has a triploid set of chromosomes (Populus tremula gjgas), whereas in nature individuals with a diploid set of chromosomes predominate.

Application of aspen

Aspen wood is white, with a greenish tint, light, easy to peel, moderately soft, has no core and consists only of sapwood (sometimes a false reddish-brown core is observed).

The annual layers are faintly visible. The medullary rays are not visible.
Matches and ethyl alcohol are made from it, it is used in the hydrolysis industry, and is suitable for turning. Aspen firewood is low in calories, but produces a long, low-smoking flame that is suitable for making pottery and brick.
The so-called ploughshare was made from aspen wood - specially shaped planks that were used in Russian wooden architecture to cover church domes. The play of light and shade on old plowshares gives the coatings created from them a silvery sheen.

The wood is used for buildings and various crafts, to produce cellulose, wood pulp and wood shavings.

Medicinal tincture of the kidneys is used for dysentery, gastritis, hemorrhoids and cystitis. Pounded into an ointment, they are used for chronic ulcers, joint pain, and for healing wounds.

A medicinal decoction of tree bark helps to improve the functioning of the digestive tract, with diarrhea and gastritis.

Fresh aspen leaves are used to treat hemorrhoids. For rheumatism and gout, the leaves are used in the form of poultices. The juice of fresh leaves treats lichens and removes warts. Preparation of medicinal raw materials The buds, leaves and bark of aspen are harvested. The bark of the medicinal aspen tree is stored during sap flow by making circular cuts on the young branches of the tree, then connecting them with longitudinal cuts and removing them. Aspen bark is dried in the shade, spread out in one layer.

Common aspen buds are harvested at the beginning of swelling in early spring. Air dry in the shade or in ventilated areas.

Medicines from aspen

Infusion for fever and colds

Brew 1 teaspoon of aspen buds with a glass of boiling water, leave for about an hour, drain through cheesecloth, squeeze out the raw materials. Use 5-6 times a day, 1-2 tbsp. spoons.

Decoction for diarrhea

Pour 1 tbsp with a glass of boiling water. spoon of aspen buds and boil over low heat for about 25 minutes, then leave for 45 minutes, drain through cheesecloth, squeeze out the raw materials. Consume 1-2 tbsp before meals. spoons 3 times a day.

Decoction for jade

Pour a glass of boiling water over 1 tbsp. a spoonful of young aspen bark, leaves, twigs, boil for 10 minutes over low heat, then cool, peel, drain through cheesecloth. Drink 1/2 glass 3 times a day.

Tincture

Pour vodka over the buds of aspen trees in a ratio of 10:1. Then leave for 72 - 96 hours, filter. Use 3 times a day, 10 - 20 drops.

Ointment for joint pain

Mix crushed aspen buds in equal quantities with vegetable oil.

For hemorrhoids

Apply tree leaves to hemorrhoidal cones for 2 hours, then wash the sore spot with boiled cool water. Carry out the procedure 3 times a week.

Aspen - contraindications

Most often, aspen medications are easily tolerated. But do not forget that you do not need to prescribe them for long-standing intestinal diseases with constant constipation.

Have you ever wondered what kind of wood is used to make durable furniture? Or why in all the legends is it the aspen stake that kills vampires? It seems that such a familiar name is aspen, but many cannot even describe this tree. Some people confuse it with poplar. We will talk about what aspen is, photos of the tree and leaves will help in the future to identify it by external signs. The article contains information about where the aspen tree grows, its photo and description, as well as what kind of furniture is made from aspen wood.
Aspen branch with leaves

What is aspen - botanical information

Sometimes someone gets confused whether a coniferous tree is aspen or deciduous. We answer: this is a fast-growing deciduous tree up to 35 m tall from the Willow family of the Poplar genus. The Latin name is Pópulus trémula. The diameter of an adult tree is 1 m. How many years does aspen live? Botanical encyclopedias answer this way: its average life expectancy is 80 years, although there are specimens that “celebrated” their 150th anniversary. Usually, in old age, this representative of the Poplar genus is susceptible to tree diseases.

Numerous root shoots can be seen around the common aspen. The roots go deep into the ground, but there are many shoots.

Mature aspen

In the photo below, notice the smooth greenish bark of the young aspen. The wood inside is a pleasant white-green shade. The leaves resemble a diamond, up to 7 cm in size; the top of the leaf can be either sharp or blunt, but the base is always rounded. Interestingly, the leaves of the shoots are always larger and look like a heart.

Young aspen bark

Aspen is dioecious; both sexes have dangling catkins. In male aspen they are red in color, and in female aspen they are greenish. Flowering occurs in early spring before the leaves emerge.

Where aspen grows: growing areas

This tree is quite common in Russia: aspen can be found in the central zone of the country, Arkhangelsk, Vologda regions, Transbaikalia, and the middle Volga region. The favorite place of growth is considered to be forest and forest-steppe zones, banks of reservoirs, swamps, and ravines.

The tree is not very picky about the choice of soil. Once in any soil, the aspen will eventually spread in different directions, where a young aspen forest will form. What trees grow in the aspen forest? These can be pine, spruce or birch. You can find one or more aspens among a birch grove, in an alder forest and next to oak trees.

The aspen tree can be heard from afar with the noise of its trembling leaves

It is more difficult to grow in the steppe, and aspen shoots root shoots up to 40 m in different directions from the mother tree. After a few years of such capture, an aspen clump will form in the steppe, which will occupy many hectares over several decades.

After a fire, aspen trees recover very quickly thanks to their deep root system.

This interesting representative of the willow family is widespread not only in Russia, it has also invaded the forests of Europe, the Mongolian and Kazakh steppes, and the Korean Peninsula.

Why does the aspen tree tremble?

Anyone who has seen an aspen immediately notices the trembling of its leaves. This is a completely normal process for such moving foliage. It's all about the petiole of the leaf: it is thin and long, flattened on the sides, so it bends easily. The leaf easily sways from the slightest breeze on such a thin petiole. Another name for aspen is trembling poplar.

Basic properties of aspen

Aspen has been loved since ancient times for its beneficial properties. Not only wood is valuable for making furniture and baths, but also bark. In times of famine, aspen bast was ground into flour and baked into bread. The branches of the lower tier are also used in our time to prevent spoilage of sauerkraut during preparation. This cabbage can be stored without problems until late spring. The crushed bark is added to food by foresters and hunters to relieve fatigue.

Medicinal properties

To understand why aspen is considered healing, consider its chemical composition. Tree bark contains glucose, sucrose, and fructose. In addition, it contains a lot of aromatic acids, tannins, higher fatty acids, as well as salicin and populin.

Aspen bark is used for medicinal purposes

The buds are rich in raffinose, fructose, the same aromatic acids, tannins, triglycerides of phenolcarboxylic acids.

The leaves are also a storehouse of organic acids, carbohydrates, vitamin C, carotene, anthocyanins, flavonoids and some other substances.

Based on such a rich composition, the antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antitussive, choleretic and anthelmintic properties of aspen parts were revealed. Infusions of buds, leaves and bark, and aqueous extracts of tree bark are used.

Properties of wood

The wood is homogeneous, so it does not cause problems either during cutting or processing. Abrasion resistance has been noted. Aspen wood is dense (490 kg/m³) and moderately hard (1.86 Brinell).

The wood structure is straight-grained and light. Summer hats are made from thin aspen shavings by weaving. The use of shavings is not limited to hats. It is dyed with aniline dyes to make flowers. It is known to use pressed shavings for packaging containers.

When working with aspen wood, it is noticeable that it splits easily and cracks quite a bit.

Aspen carving

Aspen is widely used: they make dishes, aspen ploughshares were used for roofing domes, making matches, woodcarvers also love to work with this wood.

What aspen looks like - photo gallery

Aspen undergrowth is attractive for walking. To get to know this tree better, we have selected a number of photographs. Now you can be sure that you will not confuse this tree with any other.

Photo of aspen tree

Aspen leaf photo

What does aspen look like in winter?

Advantages of planting aspen in a summer cottage

In villages, aspen trees outside the yard are a frequent visitor. It is not particularly bothered by shade and also grows well in the sun. People's beliefs speak of the ability of this tree next to the house to protect residents from evil spirits and negative energy. This belief is based on diseases affecting the tree trunk. If a tree is sick, it means it attracts everything bad to itself - such conclusions were drawn in the villages.

Aspen forest on the canvas of I.I. Levitan

Today, the importance of aspen is consigned to history, and this tree is planted in the countryside for beauty and to improve soil fertility.

Soil improvement

All the leaves that this tree sheds in the fall decompose very quickly, increasing the looseness of the soil and turning into humus. Experienced gardeners know that aspen trees should be planted on clay infertile soils, because with its strong, deep roots the tree helps other plants and trees subsequently develop such soil.

Landscape design opportunities

Aspen trees are actively planted within the city as landscaping. These trees hold back gusts of wind well and strengthen the banks near reservoirs. Even representatives of the fauna of the steppe zone are not particularly willing to penetrate the forest if an aspen tree grows on its border. If aspen is used as a material for landscape design of a holiday village, it is done not only because of the decorative qualities of the tree, but also because a number of aspens are fire-resistant plantings: the tree does not burn well.

Decorative features boil down to the rapid leafing of the tree after pruning and beautiful autumn foliage. Breeders have developed several hybrids that have a pyramidal shape or weeping tiers.

Autumn alley of aspens

The use of aspen in construction

The wood, even after a long stay in a humid environment, does not crack or warp. Aspen wood retains heat well.

Application of aspen today:

• lining;
• board for baths and saunas;
• shingle;
• ploughshare for wooden churches;
• matches;
• carved decorative items.

Bathhouse lined with aspen clapboard

The use of aspen in furniture production

We found out the qualities of aspen wood above; based on them, the use of aspen in furniture production is clear: it is recommended for high indoor humidity. Combined with the fact that there will be no burns from touching hot wood, aspen furniture fits well into the decor of a bathhouse or sauna.

The price of aspen furniture is low, but it gives off a pleasant smell of calm. In addition, such a piece of furniture is difficult to get dirty. However, some people find furniture made from this type of wood unpresentable. If a diseased tree was used, then there is a possibility of the furniture rotting from the inside. We recommend aspen furniture to those who have chosen a country style for their home.

We hope that information about aspen wood, its use and properties was useful.

For the owner of a garden plot, aspen can pose a serious problem. First of all, it is a fast-growing tree that can reach a height of 35 meters. The trunk circumference of such a plant can be 1 meter. In addition, aspen takes root quite deeply. Root shoots quickly germinate, filling all available space and displacing cultivated plants. Therefore, it is worth seriously thinking about the problem of how to get rid of aspen before a small forest appears on the site.

If you need to get rid of large aspen, it is better to turn to professionals. A small tree can be removed from the site yourself. All that is needed for this is to correctly plan the fall of the trunk when cutting down or cutting down the aspen. Of course, provided that the aspen stands away from residential buildings and there is enough space for the trunk to fall. A tree that has not reached a height of 10 meters is removed in two stages. If the height of the trunk together with the crown is more than 10 meters, it is advisable to first cut down the crown, removing large branches separately.

Only after removing the crown is the trunk cut down in parts. Depending on what the aspen looks like and its size, it is possible to carry out a directed fall of the trunk using tightening slings created specifically for securing the load. The design of the sling allows you to apply force so that the trunk falls in the selected direction. If the tree is of significant size, it is easier to carry out tension with two slings, which create a guiding triangle in the application of forces.

It is necessary to make the first cut in a horizontal plane, not bringing the saw to the end of the trunk by about 1/5 of the diameter. The height of the first cut is equal to the height of average human height, as this allows you to create the necessary leverage for further uprooting. The second cut is made by setting the desired angle for the tree to fall in the chosen direction. After this, the cut piece of wood is removed. The barrel continues to be held at 1/5 of the barrel thickness. From this point on, cutting down the trunk is carried out extremely carefully.

It is possible to use assistants with ropes that create additional tension so that the workers themselves do not need aspen as a medicine. In medicine, aspen bark is used as a fixative. You can take advantage of the moment and stock up on bark. To get rid of aspen completely, you need to expose its root system as much as possible, cutting off both large roots and small roots that have grown deep, at a distance of 0.5 - 1.0 meters from the stem part. Using a winch, car or block, the stump is uprooted from the ground. The aspen branches and root system should be burned.

It is better to burn branches, wood chips and roots in compliance with fire safety measures, in a closed metal container. You can greatly simplify the work of protecting your garden plot if you know how to distinguish aspen and its shoots from other plants. The tree is similar to a poplar, whose leaves flutter even in calm weather. When young shoots appear, they must be removed from the soil immediately. By the way, aspen branches can be used to fill trenches designed to drain water from the site. And the aspen trunk will be used in the construction of sheds and sheds necessary for the garden plot.

There was a double attitude.

On the one hand, the tree was considered cursed. The ancient Slavs believed that goblins, devils and other evil spirits lived in aspen groves. In the myths of ancient Greece, Aspen grew in the afterlife.

The tree was a symbol of fear and indecision, so its leaves constantly shook in the wind.

At the same time, Aspen served partly for good. For example, a bed, like bath brooms made from Aspen, helped to cope with various ailments.

Aspen branches stuck into the fence kept evil spirits out of the garden. Aspen stakes were used to fight evil spirits.

names of aspen trees

According to one version, the word “aspen” comes from the word “blue”.

The fact is that after the Aspen has been cut down or cut down, a blue discoloration forms at the site of the cut. This occurs due to tannins reacting with metal particles. This property is used by many carpenters and cabinetmakers when working with various species.

Since wood has a white tint, the blue tint is especially noticeable.

The Latin name for Common Aspen is populous tremula, which literally means “trembling man” in Latin.

WHAT ASPEN LOOKS LIKE

In autumn, after the leaves have fallen, Aspens stand out among the Russian black forests with their green trunks.

In clearings and forest edges the tree often grows with spreading, knotty branches and a lush crown, while in forest groves it stretches upward.

Aspen leaves look like coins with jagged edges and long petioles.

The tree grows very quickly and reaches a height of up to 35 meters. The lifespan is on average 100 years.

Aspen roots are very powerful and go deep into the soil. Thanks to this property, Aspen can easily survive forest fires. Even if the tree trunk burns and dies, thanks to the surviving root system, new shoots will not take long to appear.

Where does Aspen grow?

In nature, Aspen is found in Korea, China, as well as in Europe, Kazakhstan and almost all regions of Russia.

Despite the fact that people are accustomed to meeting Aspen in mixed forests, the tree quite often forms pure aspen forests. These groves are favorite places for mushroom pickers.

Aspens can grow in cleared areas, after fires and in ravines. Often used to strengthen slopes and landscaping parks and gardens.

The tree does not like swampy and heavily moist soil. Under such conditions, the tree quickly rots in the middle and dies.

When Aspen Blooms

Aspen blooms in mid-April. Reddish men's earrings look much more interesting than thin and green women's earrings.

Aspen blooms before the leaves bloom.

Medicinal properties of aspen

Aspen bark contains a huge amount of useful substances: antibiotics, tannins, glycerin, esters and others. That is why ointments, medicines, decoctions and even kvass are made from the bark.

Aspen is a source of elements such as copper, iron, zinc, and nickel. These substances are necessary for a person to strengthen the immune system.

A decoction of Aspen bark has an analgesic effect and helps with burns, eczema and other damage to the skin.

The decoction also has an astringent effect on the body and helps with gastritis and diarrhea, killing harmful bacteria and microorganisms.

For increased anxiety, a decoction of aspen bark is also used to restore the nervous system.

Tincture from tree bark treats joint diseases and prostatitis.

Application of Aspen

Aspen is a fast-growing tree, therefore it is used for landscaping.

Tree wood is a valuable material for carpenters. It has a soft structure and does not chip, can easily be compared to wood Linden trees, while growing much faster and occurring much more often.

In the old days, a decoction of Aspen was used to get rid of scale in samovars.

The most well-known use of wood is matches. Every day, several tons of material are used to make matches.

Aspen is used in the manufacture of packaging and decorative shavings, which can be painted in any color.

Contraindications

Aspen has no special contraindications, however, decoctions from the bark are not recommended for people with problems with the digestive system.

Cases of individual intolerance are also possible.

When using traditional medicine methods, consult a specialist.

Aspen bark is a favorite delicacy of hares and moose, so in the forest you can often find littered debarked tree trunks.

In the old days, when sauerkraut was sauerkraut, aspen twigs or logs were added to the knapsack to kill harmful microbes.

The wood of the tree is well preserved in water, which is why wells and bathhouses were previously built from Aspen.

Artificial vanillin is made from rotten Aspen wood.

The first aspirin was obtained from the bark of this tree.

Photo credits: djangalina, Tatiana , igor.zadvornyak and others.