38 FALL 2015 ARBOR AGE www.arborage.com
TREE OF THE MONTH
Trade Name: Prairie Gold Aspen
Botanical Name: Populus tremuloides 'NE-Arb'
Parentage: Species introduced
into the United States
Family: Salicaceae
Introduction: Discovered by Allen Wilke,
in east central Nebraska, introduced in 2008
Hardiness Zone*: 2 to 7
Height: 35 to 40 feet
Spread: 15 to 20 feet
Growth Rate: Fast growing but
short-lived to 50 years
Form: Narrow, oval becoming pyramidal
Bloom Period: Appear before
leaves in early spring
Flower: Pendulous catkins
BY LEONARD PHILLIPS, ASLA EMERITUS
Prairie Gold Aspen
Fruit: Dry capsule, seeds are tufted
and look like cotton
Spring Color: Light green
Summer Foliage: Light green and
trembling in a breeze
Autumn Foliage: Golden yellow
Winter Interest: Bark provides winter interest
Bark: Smooth, greenish-white to cream-colored,
becomes dark brown with age
Habitat: Grows well and adapted to heat,
drought, and humidity of the U.S. Midwest
Culture: Grows well in all soils; best in moist,
loamy sands; needs full sun
Pest Problems: Fewer pest problems
than the species
Storm Resistance: Fair, many twigs
break off in high winds
Salt Tolerance: Poor
Planting: Transplant bare root, B&B, or by
container, suitable for use in CU-Structural Soil
Propagating: Budded on seedling understock
Design Uses: Specimen for lawn, park, street,
and residential locations
Companions: Use with perennial groundcovers
Other Comments: Excellent tree for special
locations, handsome small tree
Available From: Many large retail nurseries.
* For information about the USDA Hardiness
Zone Map, visit: http://www.usna.usda.gov/
Hardzone/index.html
These are the personal observations of the
author, living in New England — Zone 6.
Leonard Phillips can be reached via e-mail
at lenphillips@on-line-seminars.com
ALL
PHOTOS
PROVIDED
BY
J.
FRANK
SCHMIDT
&
SON
CO.
