How to Identify Aspen (Quaking) Wood (Populus tremuloides)

Heartwood a light brown; wide sapwood pale yellow to nearly white, not clearly demarcated, blending gradually into the heartwood. Grain generally straight, with a uniform medium texture and low natural luster. End grain: Diffuse porous; pores solitary and in radial multiples, medium, in no specific arrangement, moderately numerous to numerous; parenchyma marginal; rays narrow, fairly close spacing.

Janka hardness 350 lbf (side hardness: the force needed to embed a 0.444-inch steel ball to half its diameter). Specific gravity 0.38 at 12% moisture content, so a cubic foot weighs roughly 24 lb. Weight in the hand is one of the quickest checks: compare a piece of known size against a board you already know.

Aspen and cottonwood are both pale, low-density, diffuse-porous Populus woods with nearly identical color, grain and endgrain description; cottonwood's grain is generally straight to slightly interlocked and it has a sour odor when green, whereas aspen has no characteristic odor and does not split easily. The Basswood page has its own details.

No characteristic odor; named for leaves that tremble and quake even in a light breeze.

Boxes/crates, veneer, plywood, and various utility purposes.

Easy to work with hand and machine tools, though sharp cutters are needed when planing to avoid fuzzy surfaces; does not split easily, poor nail-holding, and tends to warp/distort during drying; glues and finishes well.

Photograph a freshly cut or sanded face in daylight, not a finished or stained surface, since stain hides color and finish flattens grain. Add a close-up of the end grain: cut a clean end, wet it or sand it to 220, and shoot from straight on; pore pattern and rays are the most reliable marks. Put a ruler in frame. The app suggests the likely species; confirm with the end grain and weight.