Aspen

Aspen, European (Populus tremula; Ukrainian: osyka). A tree of the family Salicaceae. It reaches 25 m in height. It grows in mixed and deciduous forests and floodplains. The aspen is common in Polisia and in the forest-steppe belt. It covers an area of 90,000 ha in Ukraine. Aspen wood is light, soft, and low grade. It is used in carpentry and lathe work and for matches and paper. Its bark is used in tanning.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 1 (1984).]