Trembling Aspen, Populus tremuloides

The second instalment of Canada's new definitives feature tree: the trembling aspen, the Douglas fir and the sugar maple. These magnificent trees symbolize the vastness and strength of our country. The trembling aspen featured on the 15¢ definitive is a member of the poplar family. This deciduous tree appears throughout the forested areas of Canada. The tree prefers well-drained, moist, sandy or gravelly loam soils. The trembling aspen grows to an average height of forty to sixty feet with a diameter of eight to ten inches. The plant sometimes reproduces itself by seed but more often by the development of root suckers which may spread in great abundance after a fire or logging. In the forest, other trees usually supersede the trembling aspen because it is intolerant of shade. The name "trembling aspen" arose from the fact that the leaves of the species quiver and rustle even in a slight breeze. Commercially, the tree is used mainly for pulpwood. Heather Cooper, Toronto artist and designer, is a partner in the firm of Burns, Cooper, Donoahue, Fleming & Company Limited, internationally known for their fine work in the graphic arts. Her designs for this definitive and her accurate renderings of the foliage of tree convey the colour and beauty of the subject within the confines of a small stamp size. The Latin designation for the tree appears in the plate-block inscriptions.