Did you know aspens do something in the winter that other trees don’t do?
Trees use a process called photosynthesis to produce the sugar they need to survive. In the winter, trees that lose their leaves (called deciduous trees) are mostly dormant and stop photosynthesis. But not the majestic and persistent aspen.
Unlike other deciduous trees, aspens keep making sugar for energy even after they lose their leaves for the season and throughout the winter. How do they do this? It’s about their unique bark. It contains chlorophyll just like leaves do, a green pigment that helps a plant carry out photosynthesis.
Aspen tree bark usually looks white. But the colder the temperatures in the area where aspens are growing, the greener the hue of the bark. In this way, they can survive cold winters in places where other deciduous trees can’t grow.
That means while aspens appear to be sleeping, they’re really working all winter long.
