Trees of Fox Hill – Aspen
“All day and night, save winter, every weather, …..
The aspens at the cross-roads talk together”
Edward Thomas
Tucked away amidst our dominant Holly, Silver Birches, and Sweet Chestnuts, it is easy to miss the delicate European Aspens (Populus tremula) growing at the foot of Fox Hill. True to their Latin name – commonly known as the trembling aspen – even in the slightest breeze, their distinctive round leaves are set fluttering.
The leaf stalks are flattened and flexible near the leaf blade, which is why the leaves flutter in the breeze so easily. Young leaves are a coppery colour and often turn a vibrant yellow or sometimes red before falling in autumn.
If you manage to find an adult tree look at the bark which is grey and often pitted with diamond-shaped pores, called lenticels.
Aspen wood is white, soft, lightweight but fairly strong and was traditionally used for making oars and paddles. Its low flammability means it is a good choice for matches and paper, while the shredded wood is often seen available for animal bedding.
In the area of rhododendron we have most recently removed at the edge of the Fox Hill clearing we are seeing new aspen saplings eagerly emerging into the lighter spaces vacated by the invasive shrub.
Aspens spread aggressively via underground root systems—a process called suckering— it is highly likely that just a few parent trees are responsible for this entire new generation of shoots!
Aspen is an important tree for biodiversity, supporting several species of moth and butterfly larvae, gall midges and the rare aspen hover fly.
Unfortunately it is also a favourite food for deer and a lot of the new saplings are being kept short by their browsing.
To give our new aspen grove a fighting chance to mature and fill out into the newly opened clearing, the Friends of Fox Hill volunteers are going to build some deadwood fences around an area of aspen saplings. Hopefully this natural barrier will act as a deterrent to the deer, allowing us to see if it helps the trees get closer to their mature height of 20 metres.
Did you know…?
A crown made of aspen leaves was said to give its wearer the power to visit and return safely from the underworld.