The Quaking Aspen is pretty unique among trees, in fact, some say it may be best not to even think of them as trees at all. The reason for this is that while we see what looks like an entire forest above ground, in reality they are all part of the same single organism with one single root system beneath the ground that actually sprouts hundreds or even thousands of trunks. Each “tree” in the system is genetically identical to one another and they can grow in a pretty wide variety of climates with almost the only real requirement being plenty of sunshine, which means that they can even grow in desert climates near areas with intermittent springs.
They are among some of the oldest living organisms on the planet, with one clone patch located in Bryce Canyon in Utah estimated to be around 80,000 years old! Even younger clone patches are often dated to be around 5,000 to 10,000 years old! Even if the trunks do die off, the root system can remain dormant for a hundred years or more and start producing new trunks once conditions are favorable again. They are one of the most fascinating species out there!
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