Aspen on its way out?

[newhomeowner]

Hi everyone,

I'm first time poster. We bought a house last year, and this is our first spring in Reno. We have an Aspen out back that struggled at the end of last summer (lost 1/2 of its leaves), and its leaves haven't come back yet. It has buds on it, but the branches feel pretty dried out. All the other trees have leafed out.

I was wondering if there's anything I can do. I already ran some extra drip lines to the tree, and I was planning to put down some mulch around the tree to help hold in moisture, but I am wondering if this is a lost cause. I've heard Aspens are very difficult to keep alive.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you.

 

[I'llbearealclimberoneday]

Welcome to A.S.

Posting a few pictures of it would be a good start. Aspen isn't a tree that's local to me, but with more info, some one who knows them better should chime in.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Aspen is a weed tree around here.

 

[I'llbearealclimberoneday]

Aspen is a weed tree around here.

I always though they were similar to Birch. Just looked it up, Aspen on the hardness scale is between stale bread and cottonwood.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

I always though they were similar to Birch. Just looked it up, Aspen on the hardness scale is between stale bread and cottonwood.

They sometimes do look like birch at a quick glance.

Yeah popular/cottonwood/aspen all interbreed around here so get various forms of them.
They do make ok lumber, and do make heat, but it's not a tree I'd worry about keeping alive.... but that's me.

 

[svk]

Welcome to A.S.

Posting a few pictures of it would be a good start. Aspen isn't a tree that's local to me, but with more info, some one who knows them better should chime in.

Agree, please post a few pictures. Aspen are actually difficult to kill and it's almost impossible to kill the root system without using a herbicide.

 

[newhomeowner]

Thanks. Here are a few pictures. Tree behind it is a cottonwood.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Looks like it's getting ready to pop to me.