Bigtooth aspen is capable of growing on a wide range of sites, although it is less adaptable than quaking aspen. It prefers soils which are well drained, yet moist, although it will grow on a variety of soils from moist bottomlands to rock outcrops or even heavy clay soils. The bud is light brown in color and covered with fine gray hairs.
Twigs are moderate in diameter, brown, with half-round leaf scars with three bundle scars.
Bigtooth aspen can be distinguished from quaking aspen by the smaller number and the larger size of the teeth on the leaves and from the lighter colored buds. It seldom exceeds 60 feet in height and 20 inches in diameter. Its wind blown seeds are distributed great distances by the winds. Like most aspens, it reproduces rapidly from root suckers, forming dense stands when cut or harvested. Often what appears to be a large group of individual trees are root sprouts from a single seedling or tree.