The quaking aspen is the most widespread tree in North America. It grows at many different levels of elevation and in many different types of soil, which allows it to grow almost anywhere. It is the state tree of Utah. All of the areas in green are places where the quaking aspen grows.

It is very hard to kill an aspen because even though you can cut down or destroy an individual stem, the root system below ground remains intact and can grow new stems. The only known killer of the root systems of quaking aspens are Pocket gophers.