Aspen in autumn - incredible beauty and riot of colors

Autumn brings with it a special mood. In nature, everything calms down and prepares to go to winter sleep. Trees in the rays of the autumn sun look amazingly elegant. But aspen in autumn looks more colorful than others. This species can have a wide variety of crown colors, creating an indescribably wonderful picture that nature gives to everyone. Walking through an autumn park or forest where aspens and other trees grow will be just a great idea. Observing the beauty of the world around you, you can get a lot of positive emotions and recharge with a positive attitude.

general characteristics

The aspen tree belongs to the willow family, the genus of poplars. It sometimes reaches 35 m in length. A photo of an aspen in autumn reveals a bright and very slender tree to the observer. The bark of the trunk has a light gray or greenish tint, sometimes with brownish notes. In the evening, the appearance of aspen in autumn can be confused with birch. This is due to the “glow” effect of its bark.

But there are also differences. The color of aspen leaves in autumn and the coloring of the trunk may be somewhat reminiscent of a birch, but the presented tree is much more powerful. Its bark is smooth to the touch.

The description of aspen in autumn is also very similar to poplar. After all, this is her closest relative. True, the leaves of the aspen are more wavy and rough, and its wind is long and flattened at the base. Thanks to this feature, the crown trembles with every blow of the breeze.

Use of aspen in furniture production

We found out the qualities of aspen wood above; based on them, the use of aspen in furniture production is clear: it is recommended for high indoor humidity. Combined with the fact that there will be no burns from touching hot wood, aspen furniture fits well into the decor of a bathhouse or sauna.

The price of aspen furniture is low, but it gives off a pleasant smell of calm. In addition, such a piece of furniture is difficult to get dirty. However, some people find furniture made from this type of wood unpresentable. If a diseased tree was used, then there is a possibility of the furniture rotting from the inside. We recommend aspen furniture to those who have chosen a country style for their home.

We hope that information about aspen wood, its use and properties was useful.

Where does it grow

To take a photo of an aspen in the forest in the fall, you need to know where it can be found. She loves to grow in ravines, near ponds, and on the edges. It can often be found in the vicinity of birch and pine trees. Aspen in the fall next to such satellites looks very bright. It’s difficult to describe the whole bouquet of colors.

A tree of this variety grows on almost all types of soil and grows quickly. Quite often you can find large colonies of them. This becomes possible thanks to the powerful, well-developed root system of the tree.

To capture in memory or with a camera what aspen looks like in the fall, you should go into the forest and find one of these colonies. Here the riot of colors will make you admire the imagination of nature.

You can find many varieties of mushrooms in the aspen bushes in the fall. So, a walk, in addition to aesthetic pleasure, can also bring quite material benefits.

Where is it used?

Populus tremula is a necessary plant that benefits humans. A fast-growing crop with bright autumn foliage will become a noticeable feature of a park or alley. The species is often combined with spruce and birch trees, creating beautiful landscape compositions.

Aspen is used to restore local crops destroyed by fires. Young shoots are planted in groves of Populus tremula. The species gradually develop under spreading trees, without suffering from the bright sun. After the young animals overtake, the adult specimen dies in the shade. The technology facilitates the regeneration of spruce, oak and birch forests.

Beautiful area Source rastenievod.com

Bees collect pollen from flowering aspen catkins, and glue for processing propolis from the buds. The young shoots are eaten by deer, elk and hares. Bird hollows are hollowed out in soft wood. Birds and bats live in old high-altitude burrows.

Aspen is used in turning and carpentry. The material is very soft, so it is easy to plan, saw and shape it into the desired shape. Artificial flowers are created from wood shavings. The raw material has good antibacterial properties; it is used to make:

tableware;
barrels;
vats.

Aspen is used for leather processing. Green and yellow dyes are obtained from the bark. Wood is taken both for the construction of houses and utility buildings, and for the assembly of garden furniture. Planks are suitable for roofing work. The raw materials are used to create pulp, containers and plywood.

Aspen utensils Source livemaster.ru

How does aspen live?

When taking a walk in the forest or park in the fall, you can take many breathtakingly beautiful photos of aspen trees. The lifespan of this tree is comparable to that of a human tree. Rarely does aspen live more than 90 years. It is very rare to find individuals that live up to 150 years. But a tree can live in its generations of growth for quite a long time.

In spring, aspen is the first to be covered with flowers. In summer it is green. But autumn makes the tree especially charming. This is a completely different aspen. The leaves turn a wide variety of colors in autumn. The variety of colors is impressive.

The decorative qualities of aspen, especially in the autumn, are difficult to overestimate. If the day turns out to be sunny, all these colorful leaves will flash with bright light.

Aspen in autumn - incredible beauty and riot of colors

Leaves

This effect of uniquely beautiful brightness is achieved due to the color of the leaves. The photo of aspen in autumn, presented below, eloquently demonstrates this. Each leaflet has a rounded or rhombic-rounded appearance. Sometimes the width exceeds the length.

The edge is wavy, with blunt teeth. The long breeze is thin and flexible. You can even tie it in a knot. It is flattened at the base. The shoots and basal leaves are quite long and can reach 15 cm. If they are young, they may not have pronounced fluffiness. But with age they become naked.

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 the branch by a long thin stalk. 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.

Color change

When contemplating the forest, the aspen deserves special attention from the observer. Autumn leaves of the same species can have different shades. It depends on the chemical processes occurring in them.

In summer, chlorophyll predominates in large quantities in the leaf. Therefore, all trees have a green crown. With the arrival of autumn, chlorophyll is replaced by carotenoids or anthocyanins.

Replacement occurs when the leaf is depleted of nutrients. The sun's rays stimulate chlorophyll synthesis less and less. When the supply of nutrients in the leaf decreases, other pigments appear that were previously there, but did not appear openly. Green chlorophyll previously suppressed them. When it disappears, hidden colors and shades come out and play in the full beauty of their diversity.

Therefore, the color of aspen leaves in the fall shines with its bright colors. Researchers conducted experiments to determine the process by which pigmentation appears.

Color of autumn leaves palette. Autumn palette – colors and shades of Primorsky autumn.

The autumn palette in each region is unique and has its own predominant shades.

Today I invite all guests of the Rucheyok Ecological Club to visit my Primorsky autumn.

The colors and shades of Primorsky autumn are surprisingly diverse and bright.

We determine the autumn palette using the names of shades.

In order to describe the autumn palette, we use palettes of shades, which contain their modern names.

We need shades of red, brown, yellow, orange and green. Because they are present to varying degrees in the color of autumn leaves.

The diversity and charm of autumn in the Primorsky Territory is primarily associated with the shades that the leaves of the false siebold maple acquire. This maple is the most widespread in the Ussuri taiga and is often found in plantings and in cities.

So, let's begin our study with the leaves of the Far Eastern maples: false maple and Manchurian maple.

Autumn palette - the color scheme of autumn leaves of the false siebold maple.

What words can you use to describe the shades of the leaves of the false siebold maple? We will try to answer this question using modern names of colors and shades.

The idea of studying the shades of autumn leaves using a table of modern flower names came to me during distance courses jointly with the Department of Educational Information Systems and Technologies of the PC IRO (Primorsky Regional Institute for Educational Development, Vladivostok)

Looking at the leaves of the False Siebold maple, we see shades of red, yellow, orange and green.

Let's compare the color of the autumn leaves of this maple with shades of the red palette. It turned out that the leaves of the false siebold maple are painted in the following colors - burgundy, paprika, Japanese maple, dark salmon and Indian red.

A study of the leaves of the Manchurian maple gives a similar palette. The color of these leaves can be found in one of the green shades, for example, dark khaki.

The autumn palette is shades of yellow, orange and brown.

To describe the color of oak, birch or Canadian maple leaves, you need two palettes - shades of yellow-orange and brown. To find out what shades you can use to describe the color of autumn leaves, see

saw the beauty and uniqueness of every shade of autumn leaves;
learned to name these shades using their modern names.

Color brightness

A photo of an aspen tree in autumn reveals very bright, saturated colors to viewers. A lot depends on the lighting. After all, the autumn appearance of aspen does not always shine with such decoration. For obvious reasons, brightness is achieved when sunlight hits the crown.

In this case, several more conditions must be met. The greatest saturation is achieved on a cool autumn day, when the air temperature ranges from 0 to +7 degrees.

In early autumn they have brighter shades, but the further you go, the duller the color becomes. The leaves turn brown and fall off. There are less and less pigments in them. The brown leaves that can be seen on the ground as winter approaches are particles of the once bright crown completely empty of coloring substances.

Aspen wood - characteristics, properties, application

Photo of an Aspen tree
What an aspen tree looks like, where it sprouts, what are the beneficial properties of the tree and where aspen is used, we will now learn about all this.

The aspen tree is common in temperate climates. This species must be distinguished from poplar, its closest relative. With a slight blow of wind, its crown begins to move, which is why this plant is also called the “trembling poplar.” However, it is valued not only for its decorative qualities. Various parts of the tree are used for construction purposes and medicine, and the shoots are used as animal feed.

Yellow

An aspen tree can come in a variety of colors in the fall. If the leaf is dominated by carotenoids and there is no synthesis of anthocyanins, it acquires an orange or yellow color. The presence of this pigment in the leaf is also observed in summer.

This can be established experimentally. A green aspen leaf is crushed and placed in a test tube. Alcohol extracts chlorophyll from the mass. This is where the pigments are located. To separate them, add 2 drops of water and 4 ml of gasoline to 2 ml of the resulting mixture.

The test tube is shaken vigorously. The lower alcohol layer will turn yellow, and the upper gasoline layer will turn green. It's easy to explain. The substance xanthophyll does not dissolve in gasoline, in which chlorophyll dissolves well.

Carotene, along with the green color, is now in the top layer. It is not visible because chlorophyll clogs it. Carotene and xanthophyll are similar in their properties and belong to the same group of pigments. To detect the presence of green color in the now green gasoline layer, you need to add alkali (KOH, NaOH) to the test tube. It converts chlorophyll into a gasoline-insoluble substance.

Aspen in the fall, the description of which can be so often found in fiction, undergoes slightly different chemical reactions, but their essence is the same. After shaking the test tube, chlorophyll from gasoline, which is insoluble in alkali, settles in the alcohol layer.

Yellow carotene now colors gasoline (becomes visible), and the alcohol layer has turned green. This proves the presence of chlorophyll, carotene and xanthophyll in the leaf even in summer.

What color are lilac leaves in autumn? Known varieties

In addition to the common lilac species, other varieties of the Syringa plant are also known in nature. Among them we can especially highlight such shrubs as:

Hyacinth.
Broadleaf.
Hungarian.
Drooping.
Persian.
Himalayan.
Hairy or shaggy.
Mayer variety.

Shrubs of the hyacinth species or Syringa hyacinthiflora are very interesting and unusual. By autumn, the foliage of the plant acquires a burgundy color, but the flowers are scattered throughout the bush quite abundantly and have a palette from pale lilac to deep pink. The clusters of stars themselves are quite massive and heavy in appearance.

The broad-leaved plant species, called Syringa oblata in Latin, is usually represented by three-meter-tall bushes with a spreading crown. The foliage of this representative of lilac is shaped like a heart, and the color scheme of the star flowers varies from violet-lilac to pale pink.

At first glance, the inflorescences of the Hungarian lilac, or Syringa josikaea, resemble delicate lace that has somehow magically enveloped the bush. Representatives of this species reach a height of 4 meters, and the color of their stars is a soft pink or lavender hue. It is noteworthy that the bushes have practically no smell.

Syringa reflexa, or Drooping Lilac, is very unusual for the plant bushes familiar to the eye. The uniqueness of this species lies in the shape of the flowers, which are quite oblong and form real drooping or drooping clusters like grapes. The outer side of the tube flowers is usually deep pink, but the inside of the inflorescence is almost colorless.

The foliage of the Persian variety of lilac, or Syringa persica, has a characteristic pointed shape, and the star-shaped flowers are a bright lilac-violet color, with distinct petal separation. Plants of this species have a rather unusual and rich aroma. The height of the bushes does not exceed 3.5 meters.

The Himalayan lilac is quite unusual in appearance. It has long tube-shaped flowers like the drooping species, and their color is always white, without any inclusions. However, nature has worked on the color of the leaves, and their palette includes soft green edges and a dark green center. The aroma of such a bush is also quite unusual for most inhabitants of our planet. The uniqueness of the species also lies in the fact that it can be found at an altitude of more than 1900 meters above sea level.

Shrubs of Syringa villosa, or hairy lilac, do not reach 3 meters in height when mature. The color of the leaves has soft green shades, and the buds are a pleasant pink color, and the inflorescences can reach a length of 24 cm. The homeland of the plant is considered to be the territory of modern China and Korea.

The shrub of the Mayer species is considered the shortest and most miniature in its parameters. This plant, in Latin Syringa meyeri, does not exceed 1.5 meters in height, and the color range of flowering stars varies from light pink to light lilac shades. The foliage of the shrub is rich green in color with clearly visible veins.

Red pigment

There are not enough epithets to tell what color an aspen tree is in the fall. A red pigment can also form in its leaves. This makes its color very diverse. Such pigments are called anthocyanins. They are found in the cell sap of vacuoles. Their color depends on the acidity level of this liquid.

After experimenting, this is easy to confirm. A red aspen leaf is crushed and filled with water in a test tube. After heating, the liquid turns red. It is divided into two clean test tubes.

Acetic acid is added to the first, and ammonia to the second. In a container with an acid, the liquid will turn pink, and in an alkaline container it will turn yellow (sometimes blue or green, depending on the concentration).

Unlike carotenoids, anthocyanins are formed in the leaf after the chlorophyll content has decreased. An increase in sugars in the leaf structure contributes to this. The formation of anthocyanins is more intense in well-lit crowns.

Therefore, to explain what aspen is like in the fall, you need to understand its habitat conditions. Its color also depends on the weather. In cold autumn it is red, and in warm but rainy autumn it is yellow.

Application

The bark can be harvested for the winter and used for food. Helps relieve fatigue.

In hungry years, aspen bast, well dried and crushed into powder, was added to the flour.

The branches of the first tier are still put into sauerkraut. This prevents fermentation processes and helps preserve the preparations until spring.

Natural medicine

Pine leaves contain many organic acids, easily digestible carbohydrates, carotene, vitamin C, anthocyanins, and flavonoids. An infusion brewed from the leaves has a mild expectorant property and helps increase the intensity of sweat secretion . Using aspen, you can quickly recover from a cold. The leaves are used to combat hemorrhoids. Tinctures from the bark help remove phlegm, stimulate the immune system, treat diseases of the joints and genitourinary system, reduce blood sugar levels, pain due to pancreatitis, improve digestion, and stimulate appetite. Young shoots are used to stop bleeding; burns, eczema, and other skin diseases are treated with alcohol ointments. Baths made from aspen infusion are soothing.

Soil improvement

In autumn, aspen sheds a lot of leaves . They decompose in the ground faster than the leaves of other trees. The roots grow, covering an area of 160 m2. When a plant dies, tunnels remain in the ground into which other tall trees go deeper. Aspen trees are often planted on clayey, degraded soils. After some time, favorable conditions for the growth of other more capricious plants are formed.

Landscape design opportunities

Application:

Creation of wind protection lines.
Strengthening the banks of ravines, rivers, lakes.
Formation of an aspen natural fence at the border of the steppe and forest to protect against the penetration of representatives of the steppe fauna.
Greening streets in a short time.
Arrangement of fire-prevention plantings.

High decorative properties. In spring and summer the tree is covered with a thick green cap, in autumn it is bright red. There are varieties with weeping tiers and pyramidal shapes. Used to create a backyard landscape.

Application in construction

Wood aged 40–45 years has the greatest value. In an adult tree it is white, the texture of the pattern is weakly expressed. The structure is soft, but homogeneous, dries out moderately, and practically does not crack. According to the European standard scale (EN 350-2:1994) it belongs to the class of unstable rocks, therefore it is not used in the construction of residential premises. Lumber is used to create roofing shingles. When constructing wooden churches, ploughshares are used - aspen planks necessary to cover church domes.

Due to its low density, wood tolerates moisture well. The material is suitable for the construction of wells, cellars, baths.

Due to its low density, low resin content, and the absence of a large number of knots, it is used for the manufacture of interior decoration elements for Russian baths and Finnish saunas. The match industry uses aspen wood as a basis for its products. At arts and crafts fairs you can also often find beautiful products made from this plant.

Aspen on a personal plot

You can plant aspen with seeds, but growth and development will take a long time. It is better to find a wild grove in the neighborhood and dig up already grown seedlings there. They need to be placed at a distance of two meters from each other. If you plant trees closer, they will grow and become like dense bushes.

Aspen has a highly branched root system. Therefore, the tree cannot be planted closer than 12 m from buildings. Otherwise, the roots will damage the foundation, drainage system, and communications.

The seedlings are unpretentious and grow on any soil, but before planting, mineral fertilizers are added to the dug holes. Make a drainage layer by pouring a ten-centimeter layer of crushed stone into the hole. Plants are planted in early spring, immediately after the snow melts from the ground.

Aspen is a dense but moisture-loving tree. If a seedling grows in dry soil, it will die. Therefore, as the soil dries, it is necessary to moisten it abundantly.

Tree care is simple and boils down to watering the plant in the first four years of growth. Fertilizing is required only during planting. A solution of cow manure prepared in the proportion of 1 kg per 20 liters of water is poured into the hole. The widely spread root system of an adult tree will itself find everything it needs for growth and development.

Aspen trees that are more than fifty years old need to be cut down and processed: over time, the trunk becomes rotten and can break in a strong gust of wind. Overgrowth quickly grows around the stumps, and it is easy to form a hedge from it.

Varieties

There are trees with gray bark, not green. The base of their trunk is noticeably darker than the top. There are early and late varieties, differing from each other in the time of leaf appearance.

There are aspens up to 140 m in height. They have a triploid set of chromosomes. There is a rounded barrel. It is used to make furniture. For planting on personal plots, decorative forms with a weeping, pyramidal crown are used. They get along well with coniferous trees.

Aspen is suitable for landscape design only if there is a large area. The tree grows quickly, is easy to care for, and forms a green volume well. It is possible to make shrubs and form hedges from decorative species.

Effects and beauty of wood

Aspen in autumn amazes people with its beauty in many countries of our planet. For example, in Colorado, the popular ski resort Aspen is named after this tree.

The shiny leaves of this uniquely beautiful plant trembling in the wind simply fascinate the observer on an autumn day. The riot of colors that nature reveals to people after the leaf loses chlorophyll will not leave a single person indifferent.

The pigments carotenoids and anthocyanins, which are more resistant to cold, paint an autumn picture of the reality around us, like the palette of an invisible artist. The genius of nature never ceases to amaze people.

Weather and living conditions contribute to the colorful creation of the artist-nature. This amazing world opens up to its observer a unique, inimitable landscape, bringing peace and joy to the human soul.

Aspen in autumn opens up a spectacle of indescribable beauty. Being the result of various chemical reactions under the influence of weather conditions and habitat, pigments appear in the leaves of a tree in the most unexpected variations. This is a very interesting and extremely exciting action.

The use of aspen in construction

The wood, even after a long stay in a humid environment, does not crack or warp. Aspen wood retains heat well.

Application of aspen today:

lining;
board for baths and saunas;
shingle;
ploughshare for wooden churches;
matches;
carved decorative items.

Bathhouse lined with aspen clapboard

By bark

The bark of young Populus tremula is smooth, gray-green, darkens with age, and shallow cracks appear at the bottom of the trunk. You can recognize aspen by the olive tint of its bark; in most other types of poplars it is dark gray at the bottom of the trunk and light gray above. You can also distinguish aspen from alder by comparing the bark. Alder bark is dark brown, in rare cases gray. In the dark, the light bark of Populus tremula can be confused with birch, but the birch has a lighter, bright white trunk. However, in the southern zone of Russia there are single specimens of dark-barked aspen.

The bark is used in folk medicine; it contains large quantities of phenolic substances. According to modern research, the plant bark increases the excretory function of the kidneys, has a diuretic and antiulcer effect, and helps relieve inflammation.