Fall officially begins this Sunday 鈥� which means is here in Colorado. Soon the looking to drink in the glorious sight of all those orange and gold aspen leaves that cover the hillsides.
And you can bet that quite a few of those tourists will look at those vibrant aspen trees and wonder why they can't just plant one in their own yard. Experts with Colorado State University Extension say 鈥渉ow to plant an aspen at home鈥� is one of the most commonly asked questions they get from the public.
"I think aspens have a special way of evoking strong memories of going to the mountains and looking at leaves,鈥� says CSU Extension horticulture specialist John Murgel. 鈥淪o it's a way to bring those experiences and those memories closer to home.鈥�
Unfortunately, Murgel says that although the aspen is a uniquely beautiful tree, it may be a lousy choice for your landscape. He joined ITN host Erin O鈥橳oole to discuss the science behind that.
If you鈥檙e looking to plant a tree this fall or in the spring, Murgel mentioned several alternatives to aspen 鈥� including the American Hornbeam and the Rocky Mountain maple. Here are a and a from the horticulture desk at CSU Extension.
