Bigtooth Aspen

Populus grandidentata

Bigtooth aspens tend to grow in sandy soils and are often found in stream valleys or on slopes. You will find a couple of bigtooth aspens a little off the trail and on a slight slope in the Park Ridge East forest. These trees stood out to me because of their bark, leaf shape, brilliant yellow foliage in the fall, and how high the crown is situated on the trunk. In the fall, it is easy to see the golden tips of these trees in the distance, towering slightly over the surrounding trees.