The structure of an aspen leaf. Common aspen in medicine: properties, composition, use for diabetes, prostatitis, parasitic infections. Aspen ointment

Populus tremula
Taxon: Willow family ( Salicaceae)
Other names: aspen, trembling poplar, shaking tree, whispering tree
English: Aspen Poplar, European aspen, Aspen

Botanical description of aspen

Tree up to 30 m high and up to 50-100 cm thick. The crown is ovoid or broadly cylindrical, the bark is greenish-olive, smooth, dark gray on old trees, cracked. The leaves are round, on long petioles, jagged, the petioles in the upper part are flattened, and therefore the leaves tremble at the slightest breath of wind. The flower buds are ovoid, large, and bloom in the spring in the form of earrings 4 to 15 cm long. Aspen blooms in April-May before the leaves bloom. The seeds ripen in 35 days and are dispersed by the wind. In moist soil they germinate in 1-2 days. Aspen reproduces not only by seeds, but also by root suckers. The tree's root system is very powerful.
Leaves on mature aspen appear 20 days after flowering. In autumn the leaves become beautiful coloring from golden yellow to brownish red. Aspen begins to bloom at 10-12 years of age. Blooms and bears fruit annually.

Aspen growing places

Aspen is exceptionally frost-resistant and spreads far to the north, reaching the forest-tundra. It grows very quickly and by the age of 50 it produces up to 400 cubic meters of wood per hectare. Lives up to 150 years. Widely distributed in the forests of the European part of the country, in Western and Eastern Siberia, in the Far East, in Crimea, in the Caucasus, in Kazakhstan. Grows in Western Europe, Mongolia, China and Korea.

Collection and harvesting of aspen

Aspen is a valuable medicinal plant. Traditional medicine uses bark, young shoots, buds and leaves as medicinal raw materials.

Chemical composition of aspen

Aspen leaves contain up to 2.2 percent glycosides, including salicin, 43.1 mg/% carotene and 471 mg/% ascorbic acid, protein, fat, fiber.
The bark contains up to 4.4% glycosides (salicin, salicorotin, tremulacin, bitter glycosides, populin), essential oil, pectin, salicylase enzyme, and up to 10 percent tannins. In addition, a whole range of microelements was found in aspen bark (in mg/kg of dry matter): 23-28, 0.03 molybdenum, 0.06 cobalt, 138-148, 83-90, 0.1-0.3 iodine, 0.7-1.0 nickel.
Aspen buds contain the glycosides salicin and populin; benzoic and malic acids, tannins, essential oil and other compounds.
Aspen wood contains cellulose, nectasan, and resin.

Pharmacological properties of aspen

Aspen has hemostatic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, expectorant, astringent, diaphoretic, and anthelmintic effects. An aqueous extract of aspen bark is used to treat opisthorchiasis.

The use of aspen in medicine

Aspen bark and leaves have a mild, expectorant and stimulating effect.
Aspen bark, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic. It is used for rheumatism and relieves menstrual pain.
Young shoots, buds, bark, and leaves of aspen are used as a hemostatic agent.
A decoction of buds, young leaves, and aspen shoots is used as an antipyretic and anti-inflammatory agent for febrile conditions and gastritis.
An infusion or decoction of aspen buds is a popular remedy for fever, chronic fever, pneumonia and pulmonary tuberculosis.
Alcohol tincture, ointment (aspen bark with fat), fresh juice are used externally to treat burns, eczema, and boils.
Aspen ash from the trunk and bark of a tree mixed with fresh pork fat, used externally as an ointment for eczema: the leaves are burned, fumigated with smoke, and boils are sprinkled with ash.
Steamed buds and aspen leaves are applied for joint pain.
Aspen is included in drugs for the treatment of chronic and disorders Bladder.
Aspen leaves are used for treatment. They are applied to the hemorrhoidal cones for 2 hours, after which they are removed and after 1 hour replaced with fresh ones, again for 2 hours, and then washed off with cool water. During the week, the procedure is repeated 3-4 times with breaks of at least a day.
There is an original folk way dental treatment: take a freshly cut short aspen log, drill its core, but not all the way through, pour table salt into the resulting hole and plug it with something (the density of the cork is important), put the log on the fire and, without allowing it to burn out completely, pour it out holes salt, already saturated with juice. This salt is either directly placed on the aching tooth, or diluted in a ratio of 1:10 for rinsing the mouth.

Aspen is widely used in the medicine of many nations; it helps well with inflammation and in cases where you want to quickly get rid of mental turmoil. Prolonged contact with aspen may cause headaches, drowsiness, difficulty breathing, nausea and even loss of consciousness. Aspen is active from 14:00 to 18:00 and in cool weather. The energy of aspen can be compared to a strong cold shower.
Aspen is used in, the elixir is prescribed for “vague fears of unknown origin,” “anxiety” and “premonition.”

Medicinal preparations of aspen

Decoction of young bark: Brew 3 cups of boiling water 1 cup of crushed bark, boil it for 30 minutes, leave under a cloth heating pad for half a day, strain. Drink 3 tbsp. l. 1 hour before meals.
It is used for kidney diseases, cystitis and other bladder diseases, urinary retention and salt deposition in joints, gout, urinary incontinence, colitis, pancreatitis, diabetes, cold cough, nephritis. This decoction is recommended to be taken for poor digestion, dyspepsia, cough, and also as an appetite stimulant.
Decoction of buds, leaves or bark: 1 tbsp. l. raw materials in a glass of boiling water, boil for an hour, strain and drink 1-2 tbsp. spoons 3 times a day.
Bud tincture with 70% alcohol or vodka and a water infusion of the kidneys has pronounced antimicrobial properties and is used as a diaphoretic or anti-inflammatory for.

Use of aspen on the farm

In the old days, aspen branches were always placed in barrels with sauerkraut so that it would not ferment. Aspen bark is used for food. To do this, it is prepared in the form of ribbons 40-50 cm long, dried, ground into powder, then added to flour for baking bread. Taiga hunters add aspen bark to their food in winter to relieve fatigue and increase endurance during long and difficult treks.

A little history

Aspen is the strongest representative among trees that absorb bioenergy. Apparently, it was not for nothing that in the old days an aspen stake was associated with the spirit of the restless dead. According to legend, the aspen absorbed part of the bioenergy of the deceased and he could no longer actively remind himself of the living. To those who died mysterious death or was killed, and also for suicides, an aspen cross was placed in the coffin and an aspen stake was placed on the grave. There are many other superstitions associated with aspen. It was declared a cursed tree; firstly, because it trembles, which means it is afraid of something, secondly, it gives almost no shade, although it has a lush crown, thirdly, although it burns brightly, it provides little heat. Although there is a scientific explanation for all this. For example, the trembling of an aspen tree is explained special structure its leaf - it has a very long shard, and the leaf itself is dense and not as flexible as that of other trees.

Used Books

1. Maznev N.I. Encyclopedia of medicinal plants. 3rd ed. - M.: Martin, 2004
2. Edmund Launert. Guide to Edible and Medicinal Plants of Britain and Northern Europe. Hamlyn, 1989. ISBN-13: 978-0600563952
3. Simon Mills. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism. Healing Arts Press, 1985. ISBN-13: 978-0892812387
4. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. 1995, ISBN: 978-0888503343
5. P.M. Chancellor. Handbook of the Bach Flower Remedies. The C. W. Daniel Company LTD, 1971
6. Johnson, C.P. Useful plants of Great Britain. 1862

Photos and illustrations of aspen

Aspen

In terms of chipping strength, aspen is similar to linden and is superior in this to coniferous species, as well as poplar.

Aspen: what it looks like and how it differs from poplar

And in terms of resistance to splitting from impact, it stands next to birch and ash, even ahead of beech, oak, maple, walnut, linden, and coniferous trees. This indicates the viscosity of aspen. Aspen is cut elastically, even tightly, with effort, but the surface is good in all directions, sanded and polished well. Considering the indicated properties of aspen, it is especially advantageous to use it for crafts with blind carvings, for making complex, solid-carved ornaments or such decorations. Let us also mention the famous property of the silvery glow of aspen, which we observe on the roofs of the cathedrals of wooden architecture of the North of our country covered with ploughshares (curly carved planks).

General view of the tree

Aspen fruits on the branches

Aspen leaves

ASPEN FORESTS

Accent placement: AXES`NEW FORESTS`

ASPEN FORESTS, aspen forests, deciduous small leaves. plantings with a predominance of aspen trees. Widely distributed in the North. hemisphere throughout the Western Hemisphere. Europe and North America. In the USSR O. l. are not formed everywhere, but only on the richest soils under conditions favorable climate. The largest areas of O. l. concentrated in the south. parts of the forest zone of Europe. parts, in the forest-steppe, in the south of the West. Siberia, where they replace the stands of indigenous forests and are classified as derivatives. In steppe conditions, along saucer-shaped depressions, aspen forms small areas of pure nature. stands of trees called aspen stakes.

In the USSR among soft leaves. forests O. l. make up 16% of forest stands and occupy 2nd place (after birch plantings). Area O. l. approx. 18.5 million hectares with a timber reserve of 2.6 billion m3. In typological In relation to them, the most characteristic are the complex, oxalis and blueberry groups of forest types, characteristic of spruce, pine or oak forests. Tree stand O. l. forest zones contain an admixture of tree species characteristic of indigenous forests (spruce, fir, pine, oak, linden, etc.), and sometimes also birch and gray alder. Aspen forests, diverse in composition and complex in structure, grow on fresh soddy-medium podzolic loamy soils on cover loam. Many O. l. have 3 tiers: main. the canopy of the 1st tier consists of aspen and partly of birch, the 2nd tier - of spruce, oak, gray alder, the 3rd tier - of undergrowth. The living ground cover in these forests is mainly consists of maynika, zelenchuk, sow, sorrel, fern, meadowsweet, nettle.

Floodplain aspen forest (Sumy region)

In rare cases (usually in burnt areas) O.

Aspen, or trembling poplar: medicinal properties and use in folk medicine

l. are renewed by seed, but more often, especially in clearings, vegetatively, by root shoots and stump shoots at a young age. Such vegetative stands are characterized by different clones. Thanks to its ability to reproduce by root suckers, aspen quickly takes over the vacated area in clearings. Already in the 2nd year after felling, a large number of root shoots appear. Due to the very large number of trunks per unit area and the light-loving nature of aspen, the tree stand of O. l. have been intensely experienced since early age. At the age of 10, the supply of stem wood per 1 hectare is 40-50 m3, by the age of 30 it increases 3-4 times (150-200 m3), and by the age of 70 it reaches 500-550 m3. In plantings growing in particularly favorable conditions, cf. reserve at 70 years of age is 650 m3/ha. Quantity ripeness occurs at 25-30 years, technical ripeness at 35. Maximum avg. growth is noted by the age of 40; it is 2.9-3.9 m3/ha in plantings of class I bonitet. O. l. provide wood, which is widely used in various industries. industries farming (see Aspen), including in the production of substitutes liquid fuel. O. l. are often faut (due to the susceptibility of aspen to heart rot) with a low commercial structure of the stands. There are forms and ecotypes of aspen that are weakly affected by the aspen tinder fungus.

Ripening aspen tree in autumn (Moscow region)

In aspen plantations, clear-cutting is carried out (starting from 1941) with different widths of cutting areas depending on the forest group and protection category. At the same time, the direct adjacency of cutting areas ensures natural regeneration of aspen forests in cleared areas. If present in O. l. Viable spruce undergrowth and the 2nd tier of coniferous species are felled taking into account the obligatory conservation of conifers. In the aspen plantations where intensive felling was carried out (in 2 stages - at the age of up to 15 years and at 20-25 years), the age of felling of aspen forests in most economic regions of Europe. In parts of the USSR in high-grade forests, it is recommended to reduce the age to 31 years. This means it gives. increase in the estimated logging area and where there is spruce undergrowth and the 2nd tier, allows you to harvest two timber harvests per unit area (one aspen, the other spruce). Young aspen trees are natural. feeding grounds for elk, deer and other mammals (rodents).

(Mikhailov L. E., Osinniki, M., 1972; Gurov A. F., Mikhailov L. E., Cultivation of highly commercial aspen and birch stands, in the book: Felling and forest restoration, M., 1980; Mikhailov L. V., Storozhenko V.G., Diagnostics of resistance of aspen trees to rot diseases, “Forestry”, 1980. No. 10.)

1. Forest encyclopedia: In 2 volumes, volume 2/Ch. ed. Vorobyov G.I.; Editorial team: Anuchin N.A., Atrokhin V.G., Vinogradov V.N. and others - M.: Sov. encyclopedia, 1986.-631 p., ill.

Cost of equipment for a confectionery shop www.svcraft.ru.

Aspen

Aspen(populus tremula) - Aspen is in second place in terms of area among deciduous species (1/10 of this area), grows almost everywhere. Aspen is a kernel-free species. Wood white, with a greenish tint; the annual layers are faintly visible, the medullary rays are not visible. Aspen wood has a uniform structure, is easily peeled, impregnated and does not produce a highly smoky flame (raw material for the match industry).

Aspen is used in agriculture(wells, cellars, roofing shingles, etc.)

Magic of aspen

etc.), as well as for the production of fiberboards, cellulose, cardboard, plywood, in the wood chemicals and other industries. Application is limited due to heart rot, which is often found in growing trees. They don't like aspen wood ornamental material in the specialized literature on woodworking: it ranks one of the last places in terms of the percentage of parts yielding excellent and good quality during processing - planing, milling, turning, drilling. And woodcarvers love aspen, like linden, for its ease of processing, light tone, fine fiber texture, and because it is accessible and even more common than linden. In the handicraft industry, aspen is also “respected” for the fact that it is not afraid of moisture and for its low density. Only Siberian fir and poplar have a density less than that of aspen, and linden has the same density. Therefore, aspen is used to make lightweight toys and dishes. Previously, troughs, tubs, and gangs were made from it. In addition, it does not crack or prick from impact. In addition, aspen peels well - it is used to make shingles and matches.

Aspen also has one more completely unexpected property - a strong increase in strength during aging. With its lightness! The practice of our ancestors confirms what has been said, although it does not fully reveal all the reasons and secrets. It turns out that the walls of the huts, built from aspen many years ago, still amaze with their strength, whiteness and cleanliness. The ax bounces off such wood and, at best, penetrates only shallowly. It is not for nothing that aspen is now used in villages for making shelves and benches in bathhouses, and for lining their walls - it is hygienic, light and clean, not afraid of moisture, does not warp or crack. It also turns out that experienced villagers make handles and handles for agricultural implements, when the combination of lightness and strength, just from aspen, is worth its weight in gold. Only for this purpose it is necessary to cut down a young aspen in the spring, when the wood is filled with sap, and give it the opportunity to dry well in the shade - to wither. Then it will become both light and strong, like bone. Obviously, the aspen does not just dry out, some kind of polymerization occurs under the influence of the components of its juice. Oral legends say that they did the same thing with the preparation of aspen logs for construction, only on each of them two or three grooves were made along the log on the bark so that the wood would not rot when drying, and the necessary juice would be preserved in moderation. For the same reasons, when drying an unsanded aspen trunk, some branches were sometimes left on its top, which drew excess moisture from the wood. To obtain ideal aspen wood, its trunks were harvested together with the birth of a son in the family, and it dried until the son separated from the family and a house was built for him. The best ax handle for the carpenter and joiner, as well as for the home craftsman, is also made from well-seasoned aspen. It is not only light, but also does not crush your hand or cause calluses, which usually happens when working with a birch ax handle that gets polished and slips out of your hands (however, it is better to buy an ax handle for an ax for chopping wood from birch: its breaking strength does not depend I slept depending on the time of year).

Another property of aspen deserves attention, which is a defect in woodworking. This is the presence of hollows and rot in the middle of large trunks.

Any wood that is not protected with varnishes or paints becomes gray and gradually collapses and rots. Unpainted aspen also turns gray, but unlike other types of wood, it is more resistant to weathering and, having acquired its silvery, metallic tint grey colour for several years (according to some sources, for 8-10 years), preserves it for many decades. In appearance, aspen can only be confused with its related poplar (aspen has a second name - trembling poplar). It, like the white poplar, has a smooth greenish-gray bark, brownish at the base, cracked (in old trees). But the aspen leaf, unlike the poplar leaf, is ovoid.

General view of the tree

Aspen fruits on the branches

Longitudinal and cross cuts

Botanical illustration from the book by O. V. Thome “Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz”, 1885

Aspen growing north of the Arctic Circle in Norway

Aspen leaves

Recently, much attention has been paid to the propagation of aspen by summer cuttings as one of the promising methods vegetative propagation.

Earlier studies of aspen propagation by summer cuttings allowed us to draw the following conclusions.

1. Successful propagation is possible only when cuttings are taken from young queen cells, preferably from one-year-old offspring; this conclusion is also contained in works devoted to other tree species.

2. The best results of rooting summer cuttings compared to rooting in an open field were obtained in a greenhouse and under a synthetic covering. For example, in Germany, rooting of 68% was achieved under synthetic covering, and 34% without covering. Therefore, an important precondition for rooting summer cuttings is the necessary optimal temperature. In the USA, this temperature is 24.4-29.4°, at which rooting occurs within 14 days. In Finland, the optimal temperature is 20-25° with a relative humidity of more than 90%.

3. In special studies, sand or a mixture of peat and sand in a ratio of 1:2 was recognized as the best substrate for rooting. According to another experience, this is a mixture of sphagnum peat and coarse sand (diameter of sand grains 3-5 mm).

4. Regarding the time and method of preparing cuttings, you must be guided by the following instructions. The cuttings must be mature, with two buds (the upper oblique cut is 1 cm above the upper bud, the lower cut is 0.5 cm below the lower bud). The leaf blade is reduced as needed (by about half). The cuttings are planted in a substrate 0.5-1.0 cm deep. According to the results of experiments in Poland, the cuttings should be 5-8 cm long with at least one leaf and two buds; harvesting time is the first half of July, when the shoots have matured and lost pubescence. When cuttings are treated with pyrogallol, rooting does not depend on the time of their preparation.

Summer cuttings are taken from root shoots when they have reached a height of approximately 10 cm (8-15). The immature top of the root cuttings is cut off, and summer cuttings are harvested in their basal part. The size of the cuttings does not affect the rooting result.

5. Rooting is largely determined by the aspen clone. For example, in Germany it was found that, depending on the clone, the percentage of rooting varies from 40 to 100 under film and from 10 to 80 without it (in greenhouse conditions).

6. The use of various growth stimulants and chemicals gives positive results. For example, in Finland, in the subgenus Leuce, the best rooting results (94%) were achieved when indolylbutyric acid was used as a stimulant.

7. It is necessary to create queen cells (for a specific property or trait of aspen) in order to obtain summer cuttings for their mass propagation.

Sometimes, when propagating aspen by summer cuttings, you can use methods developed for other species of the poplar genus (in the subgenus Leuce).

Common aspen: what the tree looks like, leaves and fruits

This, for example, is the method of vegetative propagation of hybrids of white poplar with aspen, developed at UkrNIILHA. It consists of the following steps:

Harvesting roots from elite trees for forcing out shoots and preparing them for planting in greenhouse conditions;

Planting root cuttings and forcing shoots;

Obtaining varietal planting material by green cuttings from root shoots;

Planting a mother plantation from rooted green cuttings of root shoots for subsequent vegetative propagation.

In 1981-1982 At the Latvian Scientific Research Institute of Chemical Plants we studied the propagation of aspen by summer cuttings in laboratory conditions. For this purpose, a growing cabinet measuring 75x160x240 cm with automatically controlled lighting, temperature and water supply was used. The substrate was neutralized sphagnum peat, perlite or sand over a drainage layer of expanded clay. Summer cuttings were harvested: 1) in spring - from root shoots grown in boxes in a greenhouse; 2) in summer (late June or early July) - from annual root shoots on a seed plantation. In these experiments, when a temperature of 24-28°C was provided with artificial lighting or 18-20° without it, relative humidity air 95% and artificial fine fog, rooting was 77-88%.

The preliminary best substrate for rooting turned out to be neutralized sphagnum peat (rooting 88%), mainly because the cuttings developed a strong compact root system, which facilitated survival after transplantation into the nursery. Good rooting results also corresponded to the sandy substrate (77%), but the roots here were long, elongated, and difficult to preserve during transplantation.

It is too early to judge the suitability of perlite; research in this direction continues. The best results are obtained from shoots grown in a greenhouse from root cuttings.

Experiments in Latvia have confirmed that for successful rooting of summer cuttings, equipment is needed that automatically regulates temperature, moisture and the supply of artificial fine fog.

Rooted cuttings, after being transplanted into beds in a greenhouse with a synthetic covering, successfully took root (86%) and in the first year reached an average of 120 cm in height and 7 mm in thickness at the root collar (maximum 210 cm and 14 mm, respectively).

According to data on aspen flowering in the forests of the USSR, depending on climatic conditions (from the Arkhangelsk region to the foothills North Caucasus) average aspen flowering dates vary from north to south from April 25 to March 17, the latest from May 29 to March 23, and the earliest from April 2 to March 10. This should be taken into account when exchanging aspen pollen and seeds from different climatic zones.

In Latvia, aspen in most cases blooms in the second ten days of April. The seeds ripen at the end of May or the beginning of June, but most often in the third ten days of May. Their departure occurs in a very short time - within 2-8 days, depending on weather conditions. Therefore, it is very important to collect seeds precise definition their ripening period. Experience confirms that you should start collecting fruit catkins at the moment when the first fruit capsules begin to open in them, that is, the ends of the white hairs - the flies - appear.

In order not to harm the tree, it is recommended to collect the earrings directly, without branches. To obtain a high-quality harvest on time, the necessary measures must be taken to destroy pests, especially caterpillars of the moth-frog butterfly (Batracherda praengusia), and prevent their mass spread. Warm and dry weather is especially conducive to the spread of pests.

To obtain high-quality offspring, seeds are collected from pre-selected plus trees. It is also important that there are plus males - pollinators - near the plus females. On plus trees, catkins are collected by climbing them using special tree-climbing devices that do not damage the tree.

The method of collecting seeds in the Oboyansky forestry cannot be considered rational, according to which females are cut down 10-12 days before the expected ripening of the seeds, pollinated abundantly to destroy pests, pollinated again 2-3 days later and after the appearance of the first fluff, earrings are collected.

In Czechoslovakia, it is recommended to collect seeds after flight at the site of fall. However, in Latvia this is only possible in a plentiful seed year, when there are optimal conditions during the period of seed ripening and emergence. weather(sunny and no wind). The seeds, according to the observations of P. Reim, fly 400-500 m from the mother tree, and light rain, wetting the fluff, makes them impossible to collect. Ideal weather conditions in Latvia were noted only in 1964. If the collected fruit catkins are not processed immediately after collection, they are placed in a cellar on ice and stored in this form until processing.

An important and labor-intensive process is obtaining seeds from collected catkins, as well as cleaning them from volatiles and carpels. Usually, to do this, the earrings are rubbed through a sieve with 2-3 mm holes. This is a long process, and some of the seeds remain in the pureed flakes. Below is a description of one of the many methods successfully used in Poland. An elephant of 20 cm earrings is placed in the cellar; When the bolls begin to fade and white fluff appears on their tops, it is time to prepare the seeds. The last ones are removed from the boxes by first rubbing them between the palms for 2-3 minutes, then through a sieve; get approximately 30-40% of the possible number of seeds.

Within 2 hours, the seeds dry out and are wiped again. After repeated rubbing, 15-20% of the seeds still remain in the ball of fluff. If necessary, after repeated drying, wipe a third time.

The problem of cleaning seeds from fluff has been solved in the forest selection laboratory of the Latvian Scientific Research Institute of Forestry. To facilitate and speed up cleaning, as well as increase seed yield, a device of our own design was used. Cleaning immediately after collection is carried out as follows: the earrings are spread on a table in room conditions in a layer of about 5 cm; after a few days, when some of the boxes have already opened, a layer of fluff with seeds forms above them. A special device can be used to collect seeds and clean them from fluff.

When the fan is turned on, a forced air flow is created, which sucks the piled seeds and fluff through the sieve cylinder and tip. The presence of a sieve cylinder allows you to separate seeds and fluff from the heap, which flow through a flexible hose into the storage chamber. Upon entering this chamber, the seeds are separated from the fluff and sent through a separating mesh into an additional container, and the fluff, under the influence of the air flow, is collected in the rear part of the storage chamber. To clean the outer surface of the sieve cylinder from heap particles, the tip is rotatable.

If necessary, the reception can be repeated several times until all the seeds are collected. In 3-7 days, all the seeds gradually ripen (previously ripened ones are collected at the first doses). Thus, seed loss is minimal and seed yield is maximum. The device facilitates and speeds up the process of cleaning seeds and allows you to increase their yield (2-8% of the mass of freshly collected catkins), since significantly less seeds remain in the separated fluff. When manually cleaning seeds, their yield is only 0.5-2%.

Instead of the above-mentioned device, a vacuum cleaner can be successfully used in combination with sieves of the appropriate size; in this case, it is only more inconvenient to work and the seed yield is somewhat less.

The quality of aspen seeds was carefully studied by P.

How to distinguish aspen from poplar

Reim in Estonia. According to him, well-ripened seeds are yellow-brown with a purple tint, on average 0.9-1.2 mm long, 0.3-0.6 wide and 0.2-0.4 mm thick. Seeds that ripen after collecting earrings, that is, artificially, are slightly lighter in color and their weight is less than those that ripen naturally on a tree (for example, the weight of seeds collected a week before natural ripeness is half as much). The fewer seeds in the box (the worse the pollination conditions), the more mass individual seeds. The weight of seeds from trees up to 15 years old is less than from older trees.

In Latvia, the color of aspen seeds ranges from greenish-yellow to various shades of brown; the weight of 1000 seeds, depending on the mother tree and other circumstances, ranges from 0.08 to 0.15 g, with an average of 0.12 g.

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Aspen

Aspen(populus tremula) - Aspen is in second place in terms of area among deciduous species (1/10 of this area), grows almost everywhere. Aspen is a kernel-free species. The wood is white, with a greenish tint; the annual layers are faintly visible, the medullary rays are not visible. Aspen wood has a uniform structure, is easily peeled, impregnated and does not produce a highly smoky flame (raw material for the match industry).

Aspen is used in agriculture (wells, cellars, roofing shingles, etc.), as well as for the production of fiberboards, cellulose, cardboard, plywood, forest chemicals and other industries. Application is limited due to heart rot, which is often found in growing trees. Aspen wood is not favored as an ornamental material in the specialized literature on woodworking: it ranks one of the last places in terms of the percentage of output of parts of excellent and good quality during processing - planing, milling, turning, drilling. And woodcarvers love aspen, like linden, for its ease of processing, light tone, fine fiber texture, and because it is accessible and even more common than linden. In the handicraft industry, aspen is also “respected” for the fact that it is not afraid of moisture and for its low density. Only Siberian fir and poplar have a density less than that of aspen, and linden has the same density. Therefore, aspen is used to make lightweight toys and dishes. Previously, troughs, tubs, and gangs were made from it. In addition, it does not crack or prick from impact. In addition, aspen peels well - it is used to make shingles and matches.

Aspen also has one more completely unexpected property - a strong increase in strength during aging. With its lightness! The practice of our ancestors confirms what has been said, although it does not fully reveal all the reasons and secrets. It turns out that the walls of the huts, built from aspen many years ago, still amaze with their strength, whiteness and cleanliness. The ax bounces off such wood and, at best, penetrates only shallowly. It is not for nothing that aspen is now used in villages for making shelves and benches in bathhouses, and for lining their walls - it is hygienic, light and clean, not afraid of moisture, does not warp or crack. It also turns out that experienced villagers make handles and handles for agricultural implements, when the combination of lightness and strength, just from aspen, is worth its weight in gold. Only for this purpose it is necessary to cut down a young aspen in the spring, when the wood is filled with sap, and give it the opportunity to dry well in the shade - to wither. Then it will become both light and strong, like bone. Obviously, the aspen does not just dry out, some kind of polymerization occurs under the influence of the components of its juice. Oral legends say that they did the same thing with the preparation of aspen logs for construction, only on each of them two or three grooves were made along the log on the bark so that the wood would not rot when drying, and the necessary juice would be preserved in moderation. For the same reasons, when drying an unsanded aspen trunk, some branches were sometimes left on its top, which drew excess moisture from the wood. To obtain ideal aspen wood, its trunks were harvested together with the birth of a son in the family, and it dried until the son separated from the family and a house was built for him. The best ax handle for the carpenter and joiner, as well as for the home craftsman, is also made from well-seasoned aspen. It is not only light, but also does not crush your hand or cause calluses, which usually happens when working with a birch ax handle that gets polished and slips out of your hands (however, it is better to buy an ax handle for an ax for chopping wood from birch: its breaking strength does not depend I slept depending on the time of year).

Another property of aspen deserves attention, which is a defect in woodworking. This is the presence of hollows and rot in the middle of large trunks.

In terms of chipping strength, aspen is similar to linden and is superior in this to coniferous species, as well as poplar. And in terms of resistance to splitting from impact, it stands next to birch and ash, even ahead of beech, oak, maple, walnut, linden, and coniferous trees. This indicates the viscosity of aspen. Aspen is cut elastically, even tightly, with effort, but the surface is good in all directions, sanded and polished well. Considering the indicated properties of aspen, it is especially advantageous to use it for crafts with blind carvings, for making complex, solid-carved ornaments or such decorations. Let us also mention the famous property of the silvery glow of aspen, which we observe on the roofs of the cathedrals of wooden architecture of the North of our country covered with ploughshares (curly carved planks).

Any wood that is not protected with varnishes or paints becomes gray and gradually collapses and rots. Unpainted aspen also turns gray, but unlike other types of wood, it is more resistant to weathering and, acquiring its silvery, metallic gray color within a few years (according to some reports, within 8-10 years), retains it for many decades . In appearance, aspen can only be confused with its related poplar (aspen has a second name - trembling poplar).

What does an aspen tree look like (photo)?

It, like the white poplar, has a smooth greenish-gray bark, brownish at the base, cracked (in old trees). But the aspen leaf, unlike the poplar leaf, is ovoid.

General view of the tree

Aspen fruits on the branches

Longitudinal and cross cuts

Botanical illustration from the book by O. V. Thome “Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz”, 1885

Aspen growing north of the Arctic Circle in Norway

Aspen and poplar, two trees that perform completely different functions in nature. But both are priceless in their own way. Aspen - for people's health. Poplar - for the environment. Aspen belongs to the willow family. Usually this tree grows in the forest, but there are exceptions. This is due to the fact that it is quite susceptible to tree diseases. The forest thicket is a reliable home for aspen, since dense plantings form a kind of shield from the wind. After all, it is the wind that carries all existing bacteria and microbes that infect plant fauna. Despite this, healthy representatives of this plant are long-lived, the age of some specimens reaches 130 years.

Aspen has a slender and tall trunk; in appearance it is very similar to poplar; they belong to the same family. To understand how to distinguish an aspen from a poplar, just look at the base of its trunk, and if you can’t see the roots protruding outward, then it’s definitely not a poplar. When the weather is calm and the crown of the tree is swaying, there is no doubt - it is aspen. In the forest it is definitely impossible to confuse aspen with poplar, since it simply does not grow there. Poplar has a powerful trunk and a very strong root system, as mentioned above. Poplar roots are located almost at the soil surface. It is very prolific and you can see a lot of young offspring around. Aspen roots are located deep underground.

Before getting rid of aspen, it would not be amiss to remember that aspen, according to ancient legend, drives away evil spirits from housing. And in general, you shouldn’t destroy trees unless absolutely necessary. But if there is a poplar on the site, this need may arise. The poplar will drown out any plant growing nearby with its roots. It is capable of lifting asphalt and destroying the foundations of residential buildings. This plant has only one advantage - thanks to the resinous surface of its leaves, it is an excellent air sanator.

If you walk through the forest after a fire, you need to pay attention to what the aspen looks like. Due to the structure of the root system, it is one of the few to survive fires. Because aspen feeds deep underground, the top layer of soil around this tree is the most fertile. That is why the boletus mushroom has chosen a place under the aspen. There is a popular saying “trembles like an aspen leaf”; it is used in speech patterns associated with the expression of fear. Botany says that thin cuttings cannot cope with the weight of a leaf, so the crowns of aspens are always in motion.

Aspen is an excellent natural antiseptic. Aspen as a medicine is applicable for many diseases, since its bark, wood, buds, and even leaves have antibacterial substances. In the old days, when there were no dentists and other doctors, people with headaches and toothaches went into the forest to “hugging the aspen tree.” They applied the sore side to the tree bark and waited for healing. If you have walls in a steam room made of aspen wood, the effect of the healing properties of a Russian bath increases significantly. For the same effect, it is necessary to have a tub for water made of aspen in the steam room. For people with problem skin (psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema), an aspen broom in the steam room is a salvation from illness. This tree has so many beneficial properties. He grows mushrooms, drives away evil spirits, and is a healer. It is worth taking care of the faithful guardian of humanity.

Thank you

The site provides background information for informational purposes only. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases must be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. All drugs have contraindications. Consultation with a specialist is required!

Description of the common aspen tree

This plant is distinguished by rounded leaves with fairly large teeth along the edge. Because of the long roots that are flattened in the middle, aspen leaves begin to tremble even with a slight blow of wind.

Aspen (like other types of poplars) is a dioecious tree, as a result of which entire sections of tree stands can consist of male or female individuals. Thus, male flowers have pink or red earrings, while female flowers have green earrings.

This is a fairly fast-growing species, which grows up to 20 m in 40 years. However, aspen is not durable, and often lives for about 90 years (rarely the age of aspen is 130 - 150 years).

There are different types of aspen, which differ in the color and structure of the bark, the time of leaf blooming and other characteristics. But in folk medicine It is common aspen that is used, the properties and application of which will be discussed in detail below.

Where does aspen grow?

Collection and storage

Bloom

The leaves of the tree are collected in early May or June. The leaves are dried in the shade or in a dryer at a temperature of about 50 - 60 degrees.

Aspen buds are collected before they bloom, and it is important to immediately dry them in a stove or oven.

When is aspen bark collected?

The bark is collected using a sharp knife, which is used to make an incision around the trunk. Then, after a segment equal to 30 cm, a subsequent incision is made, after another 30 cm - a subsequent one (and so on). After this, you need to make a vertical cut on each tube and remove the bark. But it is undesirable to plan it from aspen trunks (otherwise the wood will end up in the bark, which will reduce the medicinal qualities of the latter). The bark can be removed not only from the trunk of an aspen, but also from its thin branches.

The collected bark is dried under a canopy, as well as using an oven or oven, after being cut into pieces 3–4 cm long (the temperature in the oven should not be higher than 60 degrees). If raw materials are dried indoors, it should be well ventilated.

Important! You cannot dry aspen bark in the sun so that it does not lose its healing properties.

Dried raw materials can be stored for no more than three years.

Aspen in folk medicine

Aspen preparations are prescribed for diseases of the bladder (aspen is especially useful for older people, since it has no side effects and is well tolerated by the body), gastrointestinal diseases, cystitis, urinary incontinence, as well as prostatitis, rheumatism, gout and hemorrhoids. Externally, aspen preparations are used for burns, difficult-to-heal wounds and ulcers.

Aspen buds and leaves are used in the production of antitussive medicines, diluting sputum, thereby accelerating its removal from the bronchi and relieving cough.

Special attention is deserved by the fact that for many centuries people have been using aspen buds to make propolis, which is widely used in the treatment of various diseases. Propolis is also used in cosmetology: for example, creams with propolis have a soothing, moisturizing and rejuvenating effect.

Treatment using aspen

Leaves

Aspen leaves accelerate the healing of wounds, weeping eczema and ulcers.

Bark

• scurvy;
• feverish conditions;
• gastrointestinal diseases;
• prostatic hypertrophy;
• bladder diseases;
• neuralgia;
• sciatica.

Aspen buds

Infusion

Extract

• increases immunity;
• normalizes the process of hematopoiesis in immunodeficiencies, allergies, anemia of various origins;
• normalizes sleep;
• strengthens the nervous system.

Contraindications to the use of aspen

Important! When taking aspen preparations, you should remember that decoctions and infusions from the kidneys have a pronounced astringent effect, so it is undesirable to take them for chronic intestinal diseases accompanied by persistent constipation. In addition, aspen is taken with caution for dysbacteriosis.

Application of aspen bark

• urethritis;
• kidney diseases;
• cystitis;
• pathologies of the bladder;
• arthritis;
• arthrosis;
• salts in joints;
• colitis;
• gout;
• rheumatism;
• oncological diseases;
• diabetes;
• gastritis;
• pancreatitis;
• fever;
• malaria;
• diarrhea;
• dyspepsia.

Due to the fact that aspen bark contains acetylsalicylic acid and bitterness, this part of the tree is included in medications indicated for fever.

The fairly high content of vitamins, tannins and other biologically active substances in aspen bark ensures a mild effect on the body.

Aspen bark is included in skin products because it helps improve the condition of the skin and mucous membranes. It is used in cosmetology both in the form of lotions, lotions, ointments and creams, and in the form of baths. Aspen extract from the bark of the plant nourishes the skin, giving it elasticity, velvety, and softness.

Preparations made from aspen bark increase the body's resistance to pathogenic microflora, therefore they are used for gynecological diseases in the form of douching.

How to brew aspen bark?

How to use?

Decoction

1 tbsp. dry raw materials must be poured with a glass of water and put on fire. The product is boiled for 10 minutes, and then infused for another 20 minutes, after which the broth is filtered and drunk in 3 to 4 doses.

Infusion

• lichen;
• scurvy;
• pancreatitis;
• tuberculosis of the skin;
• gout;
• prostate cancer;
• dysentery.

Tincture

Half a glass of dried aspen bark should be infused in half a liter of vodka for a week (the product should be infused in a dark place). Drink a tablespoon of the product three times a day.

Aspen bark extract

Contraindications

Treatment with aspen bark

Aspen bark for diabetes

To normalize sugar, you need to drink 100 ml of freshly prepared aspen bark decoction every day on an empty stomach. The decoction is prepared as follows: 1 tbsp. Dried and thoroughly crushed bark is poured with 200 ml of water. The resulting mixture is boiled for 10 minutes, and then the finished broth is filtered and taken in one dose, before breakfast. The decoction cannot be sweetened.

An infusion of bark prepared according to the recipe below is also effective (the advantage of the infusion is that it has a pleasant taste, so it is easier to drink than a bitter infusion).

So, to prepare the infusion, you need to grind fresh aspen bark using a meat grinder. The resulting mass is filled with water in a ratio of 1:3 (one part bark to three parts water). The product must be infused for at least 10 hours. The strained infusion is taken on an empty stomach, 150–200 ml, daily.

The course of treatment with both decoction and infusion is three weeks. Next, a 10-day break is taken, after which, if necessary, the course continues.

Aspen kvass is no less useful for diabetes, for the preparation of which you will need:
1. A three-liter jar filled halfway with aspen bark.
2. One glass of sugar.
3. A teaspoon of sour cream.

All ingredients are mixed and kept warm for two weeks. Drink this medicinal kvass, which lowers sugar levels, 2–3 glasses a day.

Important! After drinking a glass of kvass, you immediately need to add a glass of water and a teaspoon of sugar to a three-liter jar. One serving of bark is designed for a two- to three-month course of treatment.

Aspen bark for prostatitis

Therefore, if you notice the following symptoms of prostatitis, you should immediately seek help from a doctor.

Symptoms of prostatitis:

• fast fatiguability ;
• excessive irritability;
• prostration;
• discomfort in the perineal area;
• cloudy urine;

100 g of dried bark are ground in a coffee grinder. The resulting powder is poured into a half-liter jar and 250 ml of vodka is poured in, which should completely cover the powder. The jar is tightly closed and infused for two weeks, after which the tincture is filtered. Take 20 drops three times a day for two months, diluting with water if necessary.

Collection for prostatitis
Ingredients:

• aspen bark – 100 g;
• cinquefoil root – 200 g;
• galangal root – 100 g.

This tincture will help cope not only with prostatitis, but also with joint pain and prostate adenoma.

Aspen bark for adenoma

Therefore, it is not surprising that doctors turned their attention to medicinal plants. Thus, it has been proven that the development of hyperplastic processes in the prostate can be stopped using plant sitosterols and some other biologically active substances contained in medicinal plants. One such plant is aspen, which contains sterols and lignans. These substances, which have antioxidant properties, prevent the formation and development of cancer cells, and, consequently, cancer diseases.

Of course, herbal medicines are not always able to completely cure prostate adenoma, but they can significantly improve the condition of patients with the first and second stages of the disease. In addition, do not forget that taking herbal remedies is a long process, so it is important to be patient and regularly take an infusion of aspen bark, which stops tumor growth, relieves swelling, and improves general state sick.

3 tbsp. dry bark is poured with a glass of boiling water, after which the product is placed on low heat and boiled for about 15 - 20 minutes. Removed from the heat, the broth is cooled, filtered and drunk one third of a glass three times a day, before eating.

You can also take aspen bark in powder form, at a dosage of one third of a teaspoon per day. The powder is washed down with water.

Multi-component preparations, which are more effective if the components are selected correctly, also deserve special attention.

According to clinical studies, aspen bark extract is twice as effective in treating giardiasis and opisthorchiasis as strong antibacterial agents.

Aspen bark for opisthorchiasis

• low toxicity;
• lack of allergenic properties;
• helping to reduce allergy symptoms;
• mitigation of the deworming process;
• possibility of use by people different ages(including children).

Aspen bark for giardiasis

• low degree of toxicity;
• possibility of repeating the therapeutic course;
• Possibility of use by children.

Tincture of aspen bark
50 g of bark is infused for two weeks in 500 ml of vodka, and the tincture should be shaken periodically. The squeezed tincture is taken one tablespoon, diluted in a small amount of water, three to four times a day.

The average course of treatment is three weeks. A repeat course can be carried out in a month.

Important! Before and during taking aspen preparations, it is recommended to exclude from the diet for a week all products of animal origin (that is, milk, meat, eggs), spicy, spicy and fatty foods.

Recipes with aspen

Decoction for joint swelling
20 g of aspen buds are poured into 200 ml of water, then the mixture is boiled and infused for half an hour, after which it is filtered and taken 2 tbsp. half an hour to an hour before meals, 3 times a day.

Infusion for rheumatism
3 tbsp. Aspen buds are poured with 500 ml of boiled but cold water, infused overnight, filtered and drunk in a third of a glass half an hour before eating, three times a day.

Infusion for cystitis
1 tbsp. Aspen bark is poured with two glasses of boiling water and kept in a water bath for half an hour. The strained infusion is diluted with boiled water to its original volume. Take 2 tablespoons of the product. (you can increase the dosage to half a glass) four times a day, with meals. If desired, the infusion can be sweetened a little, which will help overcome the bitter taste.

Decoction for gout
1 tsp Aspen bark is boiled for 15 minutes in one glass of water (it is better to boil the bark in a water bath). Next, the broth is cooled, filtered, squeezed and brought to its original volume with boiled water. Take 2 tsp of the product. three times a day. This decoction also helps relieve joint pain, for which it is enough to apply lotions to the affected joints.

Decoction for mastopathy
500 g of aspen bark are poured into 2 liters of water. Bring the resulting mixture to a boil and cook over low heat for another two hours. The broth is infused until cooled and filtered. Then 500 ml of vodka is added to it. The resulting mixture is divided into 20 servings and drunk for 20 days in a row, on an empty stomach.

Decoction for jade
1 tbsp. a mixture of branches, leaves and aspen bark is poured with a glass of water and boiled for 10 minutes. Use half a glass 4 times a day. After 3–4 weeks, a ten-day break is taken. If necessary, you can undergo the course of treatment again.

Compresses for hemorrhoids
Steamed aspen leaves are applied to hemorrhoidal cones for two hours, after which a break is taken for an hour, and then the leaves are again applied to the cones for two hours. It is recommended to conduct about three to four such sessions per week, with a break between them of at least a day.

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

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

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

In Russia it grows in the European part, Siberia, and the Far East. Produces abundant root shoots. The wood is white, with a greenish tint, splits well, bends, and is easy to process. Burns quickly (although produces little heat).

The trunk is dark gray only at the bottom; above it is painted gray-green.

The trunks look most vibrant on young trees when their bark is wet with rain. In autumn, the crowns of aspen trees become very elegant: before they fall, the leaves turn different colors - from yellow to crimson-red.

Aspen in autumn

By the age of thirty, aspen is capable of producing more than 300 cubic meters of wood per hectare, the same as pine and spruce by 100 years.

It turns out that during the time it takes for the coniferous forest to ripen, you can get three harvests of aspen.
It reproduces like all poplars: it reproduces by seeds, root suckers, and stump shoots. In our forests there are about 18 million hectares occupied by aspen trees; on 150 million hectares, aspen grows in proximity to other species.

Experts say that the areas occupied by this breed will increase. After all, after cutting down 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 impurity in the forest, spread wide and for decades, half asleep, remained viable, as if biding their time.

When a forest is cut down, a lot of moisture, light and heat appear. The roots awaken, and wild shoots emerge from 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 can survive aspen from the forest. The fact is that aspen is a light-loving plant, and its shoots are not capable of living under the canopy of other trees.

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 earrings. Aspen blooms in late April - early May, even before the leaves bloom.

Wood is used to make matches, plywood, containers, cellulose and paper, and rayon.

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

Lives 60-80(150) years. Trees emerging from root suckers are easily affected by rot; dried wood is durable and resistant to rot. Decoctions and infusions of buds, leaves and bark are used in medicine.

Climatic conditions

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

Helpful information

However, foresters call aspen the pioneer of the forest. It, along with the birch, is the first to appear where there is at least the slightest opportunity to gain a foothold: a patch of bare soil, a fire pit, a steep slope of a quarry - if only there was at least a little moisture, 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 its hairs, is pulled towards it and after a few hours its shell bursts, releasing two cotyledons. The tip of the cotyledon thickens, new hairs form on it, which begin to greedily absorb moisture, and a root begins to make its way down to the ground. In the first year of a young aspen, the root is sometimes buried into the soil up to thirty centimeters, only after which the above-ground part begins to develop more vigorously.

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

Features of growth

The genus of poplars (Populus) consists of 25-30 species, the most common being aspens. Trembling poplar or aspen. Scientific name: 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 - poplars are usually not found in our forests, but aspens are rarely found in urban plantings. A more reliable difference is the kidneys. Poplars, typical of our urban plantings, have longer ones. In summer, aspen can be confidently recognized by its rounded leaves with an uneven, notched edge.

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

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 - profusely. One tree has male catkins, which fall off after pollen ripens and leaves. On other trees only female flowers develop.

After pollination, they continue to develop, and after one and a half to two months the catkins open and release a huge mass of ripened 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 obtain life.

An aspen seed can hatch within twelve hours after it is separated from the mother tree. Having a low weight, aspen seed also contains insignificant reserves nutrients, therefore, it can retain its viability only for a short time.. An aspen seed is equipped with a tuft of hairs and is freely transported 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 are released from one hectare of aspen forest. Nature sows abundantly, but very few remain to live. The vast majority of aspen seeds die when exposed to drought, hanging in the grass, forest floor, remaining on roads, etc.

Bloom

Fruit

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

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

Period of wearing foliage

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 -1st 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

Cones: color group

Pests

Fleas, Spider mites, Aphids

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 to heat

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. Her characteristic feature- 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 - poplars are usually not found in our forests, but aspens are rarely found in urban plantings. A more reliable difference is the kidneys. Poplars, typical of our urban plantings, have longer ones.

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

The arrangement of leaves and branches is regular.

Aspen leaves tremble at the slightest wind. The explanation lies in their structure. The 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 earrings. Aspen blooms in late April - early May, even before the leaves bloom.

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

Aspen is a tree that lives relatively short - usually 80-90 years. Only a few specimens live up to 120-140 years. One of the reasons is that the trunk core is easily affected by 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 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 lentils and raised cracks.

Aspen bark is green-gray and can fade to beige or blue.

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

When splitting aspen firewood, the bark comes off in large pieces. Birch bark is thin and soft. Its top layer is birch bark, consisting 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, rich green. The back side is matte, as if slightly dusty.

The leaf is attached to a long branch thin leg. Because of this, aspen leaves tremble violently 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, with serrated edges.

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

Identify by flowers

Yes, yes, don’t be surprised, both the 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 with the arrival of warmth they turn brown.

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

And green ones - they are thinner and shorter.

By fruit

Trees can also be distinguished by their fruits.

Aspen has elongated boxes consisting of 2 or 4 leaves. Inside there are many small seeds with a 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 birch trees, especially in winter.

Distinguish by branches

The branches of the birch are thin and look like a cobweb. Hanging branches do not have their own rigidity at all. The color of the thin branches is dark, one might say black.

They bend beautifully. They are used to weave wreaths and are actively used as bath brooms.

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

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, something happens inside the birch tree. active process juice movements. It is popularly called birch tree. 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, sap will begin to flow out.

Aspen also has sap flow.

But not so much. Aspen sap is bitter. And not culinary, not medical value does not have.

For mushrooms

If you like to pick mushrooms, then this will also help differentiate the two trees.

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

So aspen boletus grows near aspens, and boletus grows where birch trees grow.

This popular observation has a right to life.

But you shouldn’t strictly focus on it.

Aspen, interesting facts

• Aspen is widespread in temperate and cold climate areas of Europe and Asia.

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

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

• Aspen is distributed throughout Russia.

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

• Aspen bark is used for tanning leather.

  It is used to produce yellow and green paint.

• The wood is used to build houses, used as roofing material (in Russian wooden architecture, church domes were covered with aspen planks), in the production of cellulose, plywood, matches, containers, etc.

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

  People consider aspen a cursed tree because, according to legend, Judas the Traitor hanged himself on it.

• Aspen is credited with the property of driving away evil spirits: The witch is afraid of aspen.

  If you stick aspen branches into the wattle fence of a 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; Aspen trees will not produce oranges;

• It is said about a frightened person that he “trembles, shakes, “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 the photo shows an aspen tree in the fall?

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

Aspen (tree): description with photo

This is how golden the leaves appear on young aspens. And nearby are the fresh green young foliage of birch trees.

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

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

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