Question: what is the difference between a birch tree and an aspen?
Answer: Birch are famous for having bark that peels back like paper; aspen bark does not peel. Whereas aspen leaves are perfectly flat, birch leaves are slightly "V" shaped and more elongated than Quaking Aspen leaves. Plant Lore: ... In fact they are so different that it may be better not to think of aspens as trees.