Swedish Aspen vs American Bladdernut

American Bladdernut is a fast-growing, ornamental shrub native to eastern North America. It can be grown as a large shrub or trained as a small tree. The small, drooping, white flowers are bell-shaped and grow in clusters. They appear in mid to late spring, attracting various pollinators. Well suited as an understory plant as it prefers shady and partial sun location with moist soils.

The blossoms mature into papery seed capsules and have been described as miniature Japanese lanterns. They are commonly used in dried flower arrangements. The seeds found within the pods are edible, and have a taste similar to pistachios. They can be eaten raw, used in baking or made into a sweet cooking oil.

Care should be taken when planting American Bladdernut, as it can spread quickly. It is prone to suckering and will self-seed. Plant the right tree in the right place.

Swedish Aspen is an extremely fast growing columnar aspen tree. It's ideally suited for urban settings where space is limited such as privacy screens or along the edges of driveways. Swedish aspen produces no fluff and is less prone to suckering than tower poplar. Swedish aspen thrives in a variety of growing conditions with little maintenance or pruning.

We grow this species over a two year production method from root cuttings via the Smoky Lake Styro-Stack method (SSS method) first pioneered at Smoky Lake Forest Nursery in 2002. This method has quickly become the gold standard in the reforestation nursery industry for growing clonal aspen.

We are well known for pioneering its use worldwide and currently produce some of the highest volumes of Swedish Aspen in Canada.

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