What does an aspen look like. What an aspen looks like: a photo of a tree and leaves. Application in medicine

Aspen branch with leaves

Sometimes someone gets confused, coniferous 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 an aspen live? Botanical encyclopedias answer this way: her average life expectancy is 80 years, although there are specimens that have “celebrated” the 150th anniversary. Usually, in old age, this representative of the Poplar genus is prone to woody diseases.

Around the common aspen, you can see numerous root shoots. The roots go deep into the ground, but there are many of their processes.

adult aspen

In the photo below, pay attention to the smooth greenish bark of a young aspen. Inside the wood is a pleasant white-green hue. The leaves resemble a rhombus 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 hanging catkins. In the male aspen they are red, and in the female they are greenish. Flowering occurs in early spring before the leaves open.

Where does aspen grow: areas of growth

This tree is quite common in Russia: aspen can be found in the central strip of the country, the Arkhangelsk, Vologda regions, in Transbaikalia, the middle Volga region. The favorite place of growth is the forest and forest-steppe zone, the banks of the reservoir, swamps, 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 is formed. What trees grow in aspen? It can be pine, spruce or birch. One or more aspens can be found among the birch grove, in the alder forest and next to the oaks.

The aspen forest is heard from afar by the noise of its trembling leaves.

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

After a fire, aspen forests recover very quickly due to their deep root system.

This interesting representative of the willow family is distributed not only in Russia, it also captured the forests of Europe, the Mongolian and Kazakh steppes, and the peninsula of Korea.

Why is the aspen trembling

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 from the sides, so it bends easily. The leaf easily fluctuates from the slightest breeze on such a thin petiole. Another name for aspen is trembling poplar.

The main properties of aspen

Aspen has been loved since ancient times for its beneficial properties. Valuable is not only wood for the manufacture of furniture and baths, but also the bark. In times of famine, aspen bast was ground into flour and baked bread. Branches of the lower tier are used in our time to prevent spoilage of sauerkraut during harvesting. Such cabbage is stored without problems until late spring. Crushed bark is added by foresters and hunters to food to relieve fatigue.

medicinal properties

To understand why aspen is considered healing, consider its chemical composition. The bark of the tree 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 kidneys 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.

On the basis of such a rich composition, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antitussive, choleretic and anthelmintic properties of aspen parts were revealed. Apply infusions of buds, leaves and bark, water extracts of tree bark.

wood properties

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

The wood structure is straight-layered, 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 chips for packaging.

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

Aspen carving

The use of aspen is wide: they make dishes, the aspen plowshare was used for roofing domes, making matches, wood carvers also like to work with this tree.

What does aspen look like - photo gallery

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

Aspen tree photo

aspen leaf photo

What does aspen look like in winter

Winter aspen forest Lonely aspen in winter dress In the photo, the aspen tree looks fabulous in winter

The benefits of planting aspen in a summer cottage

In the villages, aspen outside the yard is a frequent visitor. She is not much bothered by the shade, she also grows well in the sun. The beliefs of the people 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 lesions of the tree trunk by diseases. Since the tree is sick, it means that it attracts everything bad to itself - such conclusions were made in the villages.

Aspen forest on the canvas of I.I. Levitan

Today, this value of aspen goes down in history, and this tree is planted in the country for beauty and improving soil fertility.

soil improvement

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

Possibilities for landscape design

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

Decorative features come down to the tree's quick foliage after pruning and beautiful fall foliage. Breeders have bred several hybrids that have a pyramidal shape or weeping tiers.

Autumn alley of aspens

The use of aspen in construction

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

The use of aspen today:

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

Bath sheathed with aspen clapboard

The use of aspen in the manufacture of furniture

We found out the qualities of aspen wood above, based on them, the use of aspen in the manufacture of furniture is clear: it is recommended for high humidity in the room. In combination with the fact that there will be no burn from touching hot wood, aspen furniture fits well into the decor of a bath or sauna.

The price of aspen furniture is low, but it gives off a pleasant smell of calmness. In addition, such an interior item is difficult to stain. However, some people think furniture made from this type of wood is unpresentable. If a diseased tree was used, then there is the possibility of furniture rotting from the inside. Aspen furniture is recommended to those who have chosen country style for their home.

We hope that information about the aspen tree, its application and properties was useful.

The aspen tree is common in temperate climates. This species must be distinguished from poplar, its closest relative. With a slight breath of wind, its crown starts to move, so this plant is also called the "trembling poplar". However, it is valued not only for its decorative qualities. Different parts of the tree are used for construction purposes and medicine, and the shoots are fed to animals.

Description of the species

The aspen tree grows up to 15-20 m in height, some representatives can reach 30 m. This species has a straight columnar trunk up to 1 m in diameter and a gray smooth bark with an olive tint. On average, the life of an aspen is from 80 to 100 years, but some centenarians can grow up to 150 years or more.

The aspen has several characteristic features:

• the bark remains smooth even in mature trees, sometimes shallow longitudinal cracks appear;
• rounded leaves, which are light green at the beginning of the season, then darken, turn yellow and fall off;
• flat, but powerful and wide root system;
• the flowering period occurs in late July or early May.

The leaves have a rounded shape and are located on long flat cuttings.

In the photo, the aspen tree can be confused with poplar. To distinguish between these two varieties, it is enough to compare their leaves. They are rounded and have notches along the perimeter, and their width exceeds their length. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that they are fixed on flat cuttings. Thanks to this shape, they bend well, and with the slightest breath of wind, the crown starts to move. The front side of the plate is shiny, the back is matte.

In the description of the aspen tree, the shape and color of the flowers also matter. They are bisexual and form inflorescences - earrings. The female flowers are bright burgundy, the male flowers are light green. In autumn, they form boxes with seeds, which are then carried by the wind.

What is the value of a tree?

Aspen is grown commercially or parts of wild trees are used. The bark is harvested for the winter and eaten to tone the body and strengthen the immune system. Branches are added to sauerkraut to increase shelf life. Previously, flour was prepared from this plant, which was used in baking bread. Now this tree is valued for its quality wood, and also continues to be used in traditional medicine.

The sex of a tree can be determined by the color of the inflorescences.

In medicine

Different parts of the aspen tree are a source of organic acids, vitamins, carbohydrates and other useful substances. Decoctions and infusions are prepared from its leaves and bark, shoots are used to prepare tinctures and ointments. Funds can also be added to restorative baths. Depending on the method of application, aspen allows you to get rid of a number of problems:

• decoctions - from a wet cough and excessive sweating;
• leaves - against hemorrhoids, seasonal diseases of the upper respiratory tract;
• bark in the form of tinctures - for arthritis, cough, inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract, as well as to stimulate immune defenses and improve appetite;
• annual shoots - with bleeding;
• baths have a general strengthening effect, normalize the functioning of the nervous system.

Aspen-based medicines can be purchased at a pharmacy.

Aspen is popular exclusively in folk medicine. Such funds have a milder effect than pharmaceutical preparations, but before using them, you should consult a doctor.

For soil cultivation

Aspen improves the properties of the soil on which it grows. In the autumn period, one can observe abundant leaf fall, and trees also shed small branches. During the winter, this material undergoes a series of chemical transformations and becomes a useful fertilizer. In addition, the root system has its own characteristics. The roots are shallow, but spread over a considerable distance. In the soil in which aspen grew, there are multi-level passages that are used by more demanding crops. The cultivation of this species is practiced to improve clayey and insufficiently fertile soils with low moisture conductivity.

Aspen has a powerful root system and often crowds out other plants.

Aspen wood in construction

Aspen is also processed into boards. For construction purposes, mature trees that have reached the age of 40-45 years are suitable. The wood is light, almost has no pattern. It has several features:

• high resistance to high humidity and precipitation;
• soft, but homogeneous structure;
• long service life - over time it does not crack;
• low cost.

Aspen wood belongs to unstable species, therefore it is not suitable for the construction of residential premises. However, it is popular in the manufacture of wells, baths and other buildings, as well as in the production of matches.

In landscape design

It is important to understand where the aspen tree grows in order to use it in landscape design. She prefers well-lit areas and crowds out other plant varieties.
Representatives of this species grow rapidly, in the first years forming up to 3 m of young shoots. They are not afraid of heat and frost, quickly recovering after winter. However, they have one problem - the center of the trunk often rots.
With age, the trees become loose and brittle, so when growing them in cultivated conditions, it is important to check their condition annually.

Aspen is popular in landscape design not only for decorative purposes, but also due to its useful properties:

• aspen plantings protect well from the wind;
• on the banks, the tree prevents the soil from slipping;
• in large settlements it is used for landscaping and for air purification;
• rarely ignites.

Aspen is ubiquitous. In most cases, it forms separate plantings, displacing less robust trees. In nature, it reproduces by seeds, but it is more convenient to purchase and plant seedlings. These are strong trees with a wide root system, unpretentious to growing conditions. They are popular in construction and, and also continue to be used for the preparation of folk medicines.

Mythology about the aspen tree - video

Tree 25-30 m high, up to 1 m in diameter. The crown is rounded, the trunk is cylindrical columnar, the bark is greenish-gray. The leaves are rounded (in the crown of the tree), on long petioles, with palmate venation and a city-toothed margin. On coppice shoots, the leaves are larger, triangular-ovate with a pointed apex.

Flower buds open in January, but bloom in March - May, before the leaves bloom.

Distributed from the forest-steppe to the northern taiga in Western Europe, the Caucasus, Western, Central and Central Asia.

In Russia, it grows in the European part, Siberia, and the Far East. Gives abundant root shoots. The wood is white, with a greenish tinge, splits well, bends, and is easily processed. It burns quickly (although it gives little heat).

The trunk is only dark gray below, above it is painted gray-green.

Trunks are most vibrant in young trees when their bark is wet with rain. In autumn, the crowns of aspens become very elegant: the leaves turn into various colors before falling off - from yellow to red-red.

Aspen in autumn

By the age of thirty, aspen is able to produce more than 300 cubic meters of wood per hectare, as much as pine and spruce by 100 years.

It turns out that during the time until the coniferous forest is ripe, you can get three crops of aspen.
Propagated like all poplars: propagated by seeds, root offspring, stump shoots. In our forests, there are about 18 million hectares occupied by aspen forests, on 150 million hectares, aspen grows in the vicinity of other species.

Experts say that the area occupied by this breed will increase. Indeed, after cutting down a mixed forest, which included at least one representative of aspen, its numerous offspring immediately occupy the cutting area.

The roots of the aspen, the one that grew as an admixture in the forest, spread out in breadth and for decades, being half asleep, remained viable, as if waiting in the wings.

When the forest is cut down, there is a lot of moisture, light and heat. The roots wake up, and wild shoots are thrown out of the dormant buds. Tiny flying aspen seeds are carried by the wind for tens of kilometers. Aspen and birch are always the first to populate open, free spaces, for which they are called pioneer trees.

aspen tree

Only shade-tolerant spruce is able to survive aspen from the forest. The fact is that aspen is a photophilous plant, and its growth under the canopy of other trees is not able to live.

In summer, aspen can be confidently recognized by its rounded leaves with an uneven notched edge.

Aspen is a bisexual tree pollinated by the wind.

Small female and male flowers are collected in greenish catkins. Aspen blooms in late April - early May, even before the leaves bloom.

Matches, plywood, containers, cellulose and paper, and artificial silk are made from wood.

Aspen is frost-resistant and photophilous, but in this respect it is somewhat inferior to birch. It is more demanding on soil fertility and moisture; it grows well on sandy, clay, loamy fresh soils.

Lives 60-80 (150) years. Trees that have emerged from root offspring are easily affected by rot, dried wood is strong and resistant to decay. Decoctions and infusions of buds, leaves and bark are used in medicine.

Climatic conditions

It grows in our country almost everywhere, with the exception of the polar regions. The breed is fast growing, usually lives up to eighty years (rarely reaching a hundred, in the best cases - up to two hundred).

Useful information

Nevertheless, arborists call aspen the pioneer of the forest. She, along with birch, first appears where there is even the slightest opportunity to strengthen: a patch of bare soil, a fire pit, a steep slope of a quarry - if there was at least a little moisture, and the seed would definitely germinate!

Scientists observed the process of seed growth and saw a lot of interesting things. The seed sticks to the moist soil with hairs, pulls up to it, and after a few hours its shell bursts, releasing two cotyledons. The tip of the cotyledon knee thickens, new hairs form on it, which begin to greedily absorb moisture, and down to the ground, the root begins to break through. In a young aspen, in the first year, the root sometimes deepens into the soil up to thirty centimeters, only after that the aerial part begins to develop more vigorously.

Often, by the autumn, the aspen grows by 20-25 centimeters and goes into the winter under the snow.

Growth features

Poplar genus (Populus), consists of 25-30 species, the most common are aspens. Poplar trembling or aspen. The scientific name is populus tremula. Aspen leaves tremble at the slightest wind.

In winter, in the absence of leaves, aspen can be confused with poplar. Differences in location - in our forests, poplars are usually not found, and in urban plantations, on the contrary, aspens are rarely found. A more reliable difference is the kidneys. In poplars, characteristic of our urban plantations, they are longer. In summer, aspen can be confidently recognized by its rounded leaves with an uneven notched edge.

The leaves are dark green above, light gray-green below, smooth on both sides. The arrangement of leaves and branches is alternate.

The main characteristics of aspen wood

Aspen blooms in early spring and about two weeks before the leaves bloom, from 7-15 years old, annually and more often - abundantly. On one tree there are male catkins, which fall off after maturation and emission of pollen. Other trees develop only female flowers.

After pollination, they continue to develop, and after one and a half to two months, the earrings open and release a huge mass of ripe seeds.

The seeds are very small, barely visible to the naked eye, but are equipped with a parachute and are therefore carried by the wind over long distances. One aspen tree produces up to one million seeds, from which only a few receive life.

An aspen seed can hatch within twelve hours after its separation from the mother tree. Having a low weight, the aspen seed also contains insignificant reserves of nutrients, therefore it can only maintain its viability for a short time .. The aspen seed is equipped with a bunch of hairs and is freely carried by the wind for tens of kilometers, since they are very small - a thousand seeds weigh a tenth of a gram .

It is estimated that up to five hundred million seeds fly out from one hectare of aspen forest. Nature sows abundantly, but very few remain to live. The vast majority of aspen seeds die, falling under drought, hanging in grass, forest litter, remaining on roads, etc.

Bloom

Fruit

The fruits are small boxes covered with fluff, which allows the seeds to stay in the air longer and fly farther from the tree that gave birth to them.

Bark

The trunk is cylindrical, the bark is light green or greenish-gray

Leaves

The leaves are dense grayish-green, the petiole is almost equal in length to the leaf blade, flattened in a direction perpendicular to it, very elastic.

Therefore, the leaves, even with a slight breath of wind, begin to vibrate and tremble.

Foliage period

August 1st decade, August 2nd decade, August 3rd decade, April 3rd decade, July 1st decade, July 2nd decade, July 3rd decade, June 1st decade, June 2 -th decade, June 3rd decade, May 1st decade, May 2nd decade, May 3rd decade, October 1st decade, October 2nd decade, September 1st decade, September 2nd decade, September 3rd decade

Buds: color group

Pests

Fleas, Spider mite, Aphid

Relation to moisture

moisture resistant

soil type

Sod-podzolic

Foliage: color group

Diseases

Leaf curl, Rust, Gray rot, Fusarium wilt

Barrel: color group

Multicolor

Attitude towards warmth

frost-resistant

Flower/inflorescence size

Light or shadow

Shade-tolerant

Typical Purpose

alley landing

Aspen is one of the most common trees in Central Russia. Its characteristic feature is light green smooth bark. In the dark, it can be confused with birch, although if you touch the bark with your hands, the difference from birch bark is noticeable.

In winter, in the absence of leaves, aspen can be confused with poplar. Differences in location - in our forests, poplars are usually not found, and in urban plantations, on the contrary, aspens are rarely found. A more reliable difference is the kidneys. In poplars, characteristic of our urban plantations, they are longer.

In summer, aspen can be confidently recognized by its rounded leaves with an uneven notched edge. The leaves are dark green above, light gray-green below, smooth on both sides.

The arrangement of leaves and branches is alternate.

Aspen leaves tremble at the slightest wind. The explanation is in their structure. Long petioles are flattened and thinner in the middle.

Aspen is a bisexual tree pollinated by the wind. Small female and male flowers are collected in greenish catkins. Aspen blooms in late April - early May, even before the leaves bloom.

The fruits are small boxes covered with fluff, which allows the seeds to stay in the air longer and fly farther from the tree that gave birth to them.

Aspen is a tree that lives relatively little - usually 80-90 years. Only a few specimens live up to 120-140 years. One of the reasons is the easy susceptibility of the core of the trunk to rot.

Aspen and birch are easy to distinguish. But if you rarely walk in the forest and don't remember what these trees look like, this article will help you out a lot.

You will be able to distinguish them even in winter.

Differences in bark

Birch is the only tree in the world with white bark. It is difficult to confuse it with other plants.

Due to growing conditions, it can acquire a greenish, yellowish, and in rare cases, red and even black tint.

Another difference is the presence of black lenticels and relief cracks.

Aspen bark is green-gray, can go to beige and blue.

In the lower part, it is usually rough. May have deep cracks. In the middle part of the trunk, smooth smooth, has a green tint.

When chopping aspen firewood, the bark leaves in large pieces. Birch bark is thin and soft. Its upper layer, birch bark, consists of many thin layers. This is the most significant difference.

By the leaves

Aspen leaves are dark green.

The shape is close to a circle. The part of the leaf facing the sun is glossy, saturated green. The back side is matte, as if slightly dusty.

The leaf is attached to the branch with a long thin stem. Because of this, aspen leaves tremble strongly in the wind.

In autumn, they turn yellow, and in some varieties they turn red.

Birch leaves are much smaller. They are easy to distinguish from the rest. The shape is classic, along the edge of the notch.

Young leaves are bright, juicy, green. Then they fade a little. In spring, the leaves are sticky, slightly sticking to the hands.

Distinguish by flowers

Yes, yes, do not be surprised, and birch and aspen are blooming.

Only the flowers are not ordinary.

Earrings are birch flowers. They appear during the fruiting period. They consist of scales fused in the center, 2-4 cm long. In early spring they are green, and turn brown with the advent of heat.

The aspen also has flowers. They are collected in earrings. A characteristic fluff is visible between the seeds. They are red, up to 15 cm long.

And green - they are thinner and shorter.

By fruits

Trees can also be distinguished by their fruits.

In aspen, these are elongated boxes consisting of 2 or 4 wings. Inside there are many small seeds with puff. Aspen blooms in late May early June.

The birch fruit resembles a nut with thin wings. The fruits are very light and small. 5000 nuts weigh 1 gram. They are easily carried by the wind.

Aspen: description, photo, range of applications

They can often be seen around a birch, especially in winter.

Distinguish by branches

The branches of the birch are thin, similar to cobwebs. A hanging branch does not have its own rigidity at all. The color of the branches in the thin part is dark, one might say black.

They bend beautifully. Wreaths are woven from them, they are actively used as bath brooms.

Aspen branches are very different. They are thick, dense, not elastic at all.

It is difficult to bend an aspen branch, it is easier to break it. They do not differ in color from the trunk.

By juice

In the spring, before the leaves bloom, an active process of sap movement takes place inside the birch. In the people it is called birch. It is loved and collected by many people. It has a pleasant sweet taste. If you make an incision on the trunk in the spring, the juice will begin to flow out.

Aspen also has sap flow.

But not so abundant. Aspen juice is bitter. It has no culinary or medical significance.

mushrooms

If you like to collect mushrooms, then this will also help to distinguish these two trees.

There is an opinion that mushrooms grow under a certain type of tree.

So boletus grows near aspens, and boletus grows where birches grow.

This popular observation has the right to life.

But strictly focus on it is not worth it.

Aspen, interesting facts

• Aspen is widely distributed in areas with a temperate and cold climate in Europe and Asia.

• Lives 80-90, rarely up to 150 years.

  It grows very fast, but suffers from wood diseases. Old, large and at the same time healthy individuals are a rarity.

• Aspen is distributed throughout Russia.

• Outside of Russia, it is distributed in Europe, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and on the Korean Peninsula.

• Aspen bark is used for tanning leather.

  It is used to obtain yellow and green paint.

• Wood is used to build houses, is used as a roofing material (in Russian wooden architecture, domes of churches were covered with aspen planks), in the production of cellulose, plywood, matches, containers, and so on.

• The flutter of aspen leaves in the Russian tradition is associated with an episode of the New Testament - the suicide of Judas Iscariot.

  The people consider the aspen a cursed tree because, according to legend, Judas the Betrayer strangled himself on it.

• Aspen is credited with the ability to drive away evil spirits: the witch is afraid of aspen.

  If aspen twigs are poked into the wattle fence, then a witch cannot enter such a fence and will not spoil the cows.

• It is believed that an aspen stake driven into the heart of a vampire can stop him.

• Sayings: Aspen makes noise even without the wind; Aspens will not produce oranges;

• It is said about a frightened person that he "trembles, trembles," like an aspen leaf.

• “Aspen does not burn without kerosene” (meaning the low value of aspen firewood as fuel)

• Wooden shoes were made in the Netherlands mainly from aspen.

Do you think there is an aspen in the photo in autumn?

Golden leaves... Nothing like that, it's early spring.

Aspen (tree): description with photo

These are the golden leaves on young aspens. And next to it are fresh-green young foliage of birches.

The impression of autumn is especially strong in the sunset rays of the sun. But the leaves are different from autumn. They are not dry and are very soft to the touch.

A few days will pass, and the aspen will turn green.

Go to the article Interesting facts about plants

Female tree Poppulus tremulus; most of all goes to chipped (carved and chiselled) wooden utensils, which is why it is also called baklushey, lower. Bitter aspen, in song. Aspen is a cursed tree, Judas strangled himself on it, and since then the leaf has been trembling on it. On the… … Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

Judas tree, aspen, (trembling) poplar Dictionary of Russian synonyms. aspen n., number of synonyms: 6 tree (618) ... Synonym dictionary

aspen- trembling (Balmont); liquid (Plescheev, Turgenev); shy (Fofanov); restless (Machtet); tender (Bogolyubova); sad (Merezhkovsky); timid (Belousov, Fofanov); stately (Turgenev); thin (Balmont); quivering (Aksakov) Epithets ... ... Dictionary of epithets

ASPEN, poplar tree. Distributed in the north of Eurasia, in coniferous and deciduous forests; in the steppes forms aspen pegs. Grows fast. Lives 80 90 (rarely up to 150) years. Used in protective plantings. The wood is resistant to rotting in ... ... Modern Encyclopedia

Poplar tree. Grows in the north of Eurasia in coniferous and deciduous forests; in the steppes forms aspen pegs. Used in protective plantings, wood in the production of matches, pulp, containers, various crafts ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

ASPEN, aspens, female. A deciduous tree from the willow family. Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

OSINA, s, female. Deciduous tree related to poplar. In the language of native aspens (translate) what (jokingly) to say simply and clearly about what. complex. | adj. aspen, oh, oh. How about. leaf trembles who n. (small and often, usually about a state of fright, fear) ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

The semantics of the mythopoetic image of O. is motivated by two features of this tree - the trembling of leaves even in calm weather (the scientific name O. Populus tremula, that is, “shaking poplar”; compare French tremble, etc.) and the reddish tint of wood ... Encyclopedia of mythology

Trembling poplar (Populus tremula), a tree (up to 35 m high with smooth gray bark) from the poplar genus. The leaves are rounded, unevenly notched toothed. Their long thin petioles bend in the wind (leaves tremble easily). At the base of young leaves ... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

No top. Gorky. Shuttle. iron. A clumsy, stupid person. BalSok., 48. To be you (him, etc.) on an aspen! Razg. Obsolete Wishes for the death of someone. BMS 1998, 424. Fuck you! Narodn. The same as being on an aspen! DP, 750. Damn you ... ... Big dictionary of Russian sayings

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Common aspen is a deciduous plant belonging to the genus Poplars of the Willow family, widely distributed in the temperate and cold climate zones of the Eurasian continent. This is a large, tall tree, the height of which can reach 35 m with a trunk diameter of 1 meter. It grows quite quickly and lives long enough: up to 80-90 years. At the same time, aspen is susceptible to the development of various diseases, which is why high-quality specimens of large sizes and solid age are extremely rare.

According to the structure of its woody part, aspen belongs to non-core rocks of the scattered vascular type. The wood of this tree has a whitish color with a slightly greenish tint. At the same time, the texture of aspen does not differ in particular expressiveness and showiness.

Annual rings and heart-shaped rays are practically invisible on it. Compared to other representatives of deciduous trees used on an industrial scale, it can be called rustic, therefore, it is practically not used to create decorative products.

At the same time, this material has good resistance to abrasion, lends itself well to turning and cutting. It is quite homogeneous, and due to this, in the manufacture of blanks, it can be cut in any direction, without the occurrence of dents and chips.

In the photo-picture - an aspen tree and some of its features

Where does aspen grow and its differences from poplar

Common aspen is one of the important forest-forming species of Russia and is found in almost the entire territory of the country, including the European part, as well as the regions of the Far East and Siberia. In addition, this tree can be found in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Korea, China and many European countries.

It feels great on soils of any type in forest-steppe and forest zones, mainly along the banks of rivers and ravines, as well as on edges and areas with elevated relief.

As a rule, this tree grows in a group, forming aspen forests, or is part of mixed forests, combined with alder, larch, pine and birch. Due to the deep location of the roots, the aspen is not very sensitive to small forest fires.

Otherwise, this plant is usually called a trembling poplar, but there are a number of certain differences between these trees.

So, what is the difference between aspen and poplar:

• Budding of poplar in spring occurs much faster, with the release of a characteristic odor and the appearance of stickiness. Aspen buds "come to life" more slowly.
• Aspen blooms in early spring, before the leaves fully open. Poplar blossoms in summer, spreading fluff around it, while aspen inflorescences are long brunchi earrings.
• The leaves of these trees vary in shape.
• Aspen branches are more fragile than poplar.

On the left are aspen leaves, and on the right are poplars.

Density, strength and moisture

One of the important indicators that have a direct impact on the quality and final form of processed wood raw materials is the density of wood. This term refers to the ratio of the mass of wood of a certain moisture content to its volume.

At the same time, the more moist the woody part of the tree is, the greater the density it has. In addition, when evaluating wood, an indicator of the conditional density of wood is also used, which is the ratio of the mass of the test sample in a completely dried state to its volume at the limit of hygroscopicity.

The indicators of density and conditional density of aspen are as follows:

Density coefficient at different humidity levels:

Thus, it can be seen that aspen wood has an average density of 490 kg/m3. The natural moisture content of this material when freshly cut is on average 82% with a maximum moisture content of 185% water absorption.

The determination of the compressive strength of wood is determined using prototypes of a prismatic shape, subjected to gradual loads until complete destruction.

For common aspen, these indicators will look like this (according to the research of S.I. Vanin):

• The compressive strength in the direction along the fibers (at a moisture content of 15%) is 374 kg/cm2.
• When stretched in the direction along the fibers - 1450 kg / cm2.
• When chipping in the radial plane - 44 kg / cm2.
• During the operation of static bending (at a humidity of 15%) - 673 kg / cm2.
• When performing impact bending in the tangential direction - 0.37 kgm/cm3.

According to the "Handbook of mechanical properties of wood", the average strength of wood will be as follows:

• The strength limit for static bending is 76.5 MPa.
• Tension along the fibers - 121 MPa.
• Compression along the fibers - 43.1 MPa.
• Splitting along the radial plane - 6.15 MPa.
• On the tangential plane - 8.42 MPa.
• Impact strength - 84.6 kJ / m2.
• The modulus of elasticity of aspen wood in static bending is 11.2 GPa.

Aspen wood has good ductility to various types of processing, including cutting, bending, painting and polishing. In addition, she peels well.

Specific and volumetric weight of wood

Among the important indicators on the basis of which the quality of the used wood is assessed are its specific and volumetric weight. To calculate the specific or relative weight of wood material, its weight is divided by the same amount of water.

In aspen wood, it is, at a moisture content of 12%, 510 kg / m3. At the same time, in contrast to , the values ​​of this indicator in aspen are not constant, but can vary quite widely.

This is due to the structure of the fibers of the material, which are characterized by high porosity. In other words, aspen commercial wood always contains a certain amount of moisture, which it easily gives off when dried and gains it with the same ease when placed in a more humid environment.

In addition to specific gravity, it is also customary to distinguish between the volumetric weight of wood or the weight per unit volume, the measurement of which occurs at a moisture content of the raw material of 15%.

Data on the volumetric weight of aspen with a change in its moisture content are given in the following table:

Chemical composition, hardness and strength properties

The bulk of aspen wood consists of various organic substances, including four main elements: oxygen, hydrogen, carbohydrate and nitrogen. In addition, it contains a certain amount of mineral substances, which form an ash residue during their combustion.

In the course of research, 17 chemical elements were found in the composition of the woody part of this plant, such as aluminum, silicon, magnesium, calcium, chromium, titanium, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, molybdenum, zirconium, zinc, strontium, manganese, lead and barium.

At the same time, it was noted that the chemical composition of aspen wood changed depending on its age: in older aspens, the content of titanium increased and the amount of copper, aluminum, silicon, iron, nickel, strontium and zirconium decreased. The quantitative ratio of other elements remained unchanged.

Of the organic compounds in the composition of aspen wood are: ash - 0.26%; pentosans - 27.47%; lignin - 21.81%; cellulose - 41.77%. The impact hardness index of aspen wood is 640 gmm/mm2. That is, it can be attributed to the number of soft rocks.

Aspen combustion temperature, thermal conductivity

Like a number of other coniferous and deciduous tree species, as a raw material for isothermal processes accompanied by heat release. In this regard, such an indicator as the calorific value of this tree is of particular importance.

In accordance with this criterion, which is defined as the amount of heat released by one weight unit of wood material during combustion, aspen can be classified as a low-heat species. That is, the amount of heat generated by it will be very small.

The burning temperature of aspen is 612 degrees. The combustion of firewood from this tree occurs quite quickly, without the formation of coal residue. Because of this, they are not very well suited for heating purposes, since it is impossible to maintain a constant operating temperature in the firebox with their use.

However, such firewood is well suited for burning soot and cleaning the chimney after using softwood raw materials that emit a large amount of soot and pollution.

The characteristics of aspen wood as a source of thermal energy are given in the following table:

It is also worth noting that, compared with trees of other species, aspen has a high ability to absorb moisture. Its limit of hygroscopicity is 21.8 - 22.9%.

Despite its obvious shortcomings, aspen wood also has a number of positive qualities that deserve a five-point rating on a five-point rating scale. Namely:

• Decorative. Due to its pleasant silvery hue, it has been used by craftsmen to cover the roofs of temples since ancient times.
• Ease of use. Soft and pliable aspen is used to make many products, including dishes.
• The absence of resin. Because of this, it is often used to make baths.
• Environmental friendliness and safety for humans.

Norms according to GOST

Since aspen wood is a building material with various uses, it is subject to a number of requirements and standards that it must comply with.

Standards for the quality and appearance of semi-finished products, profile parts and other elements for construction are contained in GOST 8242-88. When using wood raw materials from aspen for the purpose of pyrolysis and charcoalization, GOST 24260-80 is applied.

At the end of the article, you can watch a video about the collection and non-standard use of aspen bark: