© Tom Brownold

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Whiter Shade of Pale

By Leah Duran

Nothing signals fall in Arizona like the fiery plumes of
aspens. Next time you admire an autumn aspen grove, notice the differing hues of their round leaves. Each color represents a group of interconnected trees. Aspens create genetically identical clones by sprouting new trees from a shallow root system. Clones can exceed 100 acres, or about 90 football fields.

Look for smooth, grayish-white bark and leaves that flutter, or quake, in the breeze, earning them the name "quaking" aspens. On windy days, you can hear their tinning chorus. Aspens are the most widely dispersed native tree species in North America. In Arizona, they span elevations of 6,500 to 10,000 feet and forests and meadows from the Kaibab Plateau to the White Mountains. These versatile trees also thrive in the volcanic soils of the San Francisco Peaks and in Southern Arizona's sky islands.

A pioneer species, aspens colonize areas recently disturbed by fire. Aspen stands support a high level of biodiversity lacking in areas dominated by conifers. Wildflowers, grouse and black bears benefit from aspen habitat, and elk and deer eat their young shoots.

Overgrazing by wildlife, combined with forest diseases and fire suppression, has led to declining Western aspen populations. With wildfires predicted to increase in the coming decades, aspens will continue to crown autumn hills with a citrine glow.

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