Scientists determined that these trees are all part of a single organism by conducting genetic tests on tissue samples from all of the trees.
Quaking aspen is the most widely distributed tree species in North America.
It stretches the entire breadth of Canada and New Mexico and is estimated to cover tens of millions of acres of land in North America. Part of this success may because of the way the tree reproduces. Although, germination by seed does occur, most aspen groves are the result of natural cloning. A parent tree sends up new sprouts called suckers from its own root system once it is firmly established. Young trees formed by this process reap the benefits of a reliable store of nutrients and moisture and have a better chance of survival than a seedling dependent on its own roots for nourishment.