We have been reluctant to sell aspen trees to our Colorado Springs customers for the past 15 years.  Why?  Aspens will grow in our area, but not without problems.  Aspen trees should be considered a short lived tree with a number of problems requiring attention almost every year to maintain vigor and health.  If you have aspens in your landscape, or are considering installing any, these are some problems that might occur:
 

	Ink Spot—Marssonina and ciborinia are two types of fungi that cause light to dark spots on the leaves
	Oyster Scale—Usually a group of 1/8” long, brown or gray in color, raised scales attached to the trunk of branches
	Galls—Caused by the popular twig gallfly.  These galls are for the most part not harmful to the tree, but are common and are unsightly with large infestations
	Borers—A number of insects attacking stressed trees underneath the bark
	Leaf Rollers—A green worm eating the upper part of the leaf causing the leaf to roll the edges together
	Aphids / Ants—Aphids feed on the foliage above ground.  The ants move up and down the tree taking advantage of the spots the aphids had been feeding on and actually “farm” large populations of aphids for their own benefit

Don’t get us wrong, we love aspens!  They perform extremely well at the 10,000-foot elevation and give us our fall color in the mountains.  We just hate to see your frustration when you come to Phelan Gardens with aspen problems!  If your trees are experiencing declining health, please contact us as we can give you good information on how to correct it quickly.  

For any questions you have on this article, or any topic of concern, email us—or better yet, come by and talk to one of our professional staff members.  Remember, Phelan Gardens is open year-round

For additional information, check the following links:  

• Healthy Roots and Healthy Trees
• Small Deciduous Trees
• Aspen and Poplar Leaf Spots