Bigtooth Aspen Other common name: Largetooth Aspen Scientific Name: Populus grandidentata Conservation Status: The Big Tooth Aspen is listed as “Least Concern.” It is stable.
Images to Identify the Plant:
Leaves form varies from ovate with a short, sharp tip to broadly oval with a blunt tip Leaves have white fuzzy hairs on the underside Buds are not sticky or fragrant Young bark is pale green to yellowish-grey, becoming dark grey and deeply furrowed with age.
Ecological Importance: - The Largetooth Aspen is an important source of food and shelter for wildlife. - Young Aspen are a preferred winter food for animals. - The buds are eaten by squirrels native to Ontario. - Insects use the trees for feeding, camouflage, shelter, a breeding ground and a nesting site.
Indiginous Importance: The Indigenous have reportedly to use the bark for treating rheumatism and fevers. The Iroquois are said to have used dust from the bark to relieve itching