Aspen
Populus tremulaAspen is a slender tree that usually grows in a close group of stems from the same roots. Its nearly round leaves hang on flattened stalks and tremble in the lightest breeze.
How to identify aspen →
Jens-Christian Svenning, CC BY 4.0
Lookalikes
Aspen or Lombardy poplar?
Both hang small leaves on flattened stalks that are rarely still.
The quickest check
The quickest check is the outline. Aspen: slender, small branches at right angles. Lombardy poplar: narrow column, every branch held upright.
At a glance
| Look at | Aspen | Lombardy poplar |
|---|---|---|
| Outline | Slender, small branches at right angles | Narrow column, every branch held upright |
| Leaf shape | Nearly round, wider than long | Triangular, with a long point |
Two ways to tell them apart
OutlineShape
Leaf shapeLeaves
The two trees
Lombardy poplar
Populus nigra 'Italica'Lombardy poplar is a narrow column that tapers to a point. Its branches are held upright, close against the trunk. It is usually planted in long lines.
How to identify Lombardy poplar →
In the app
See them side by side in Treely
- Both trees, part by partLeaves, bark, buds, flowers and fruit, photographed through the year
- Every lookalike side by sideThe checks that settle it, for every pair people mix up
- A short round each dayUntil you can tell them apart at a glance
- The full GuideBoth trees written up in full, with where to find them
Free to download.
Every fact on this page is checked against the Collins Tree Guide, last in November 2026. Spotted something that looks wrong in front of a real tree? Tell us. How we check.
Photographs: Jens-Christian Svenning (CC BY 4.0), steve_mcwilliam (CC0), Dan McLaughlan (CC BY 4.0), Andrew Skotnicki (CC BY 4.0). With thanks to everyone who shares their photographs on iNaturalist and Wikimedia Commons.