One of the Largest Organisms on Earth
The Pando Tree, located in Central Utah, is the largest, most dense organism on Earth.
BRIT Collections
Botanical Research Institute of Texas | Fort Worth Botanic Garden
Tap to explore
Fishlake, Utah, United States
The Pando Tree is a Populus tremuloides, or quaking aspen. Although the Pando Tree began as a singular seed, the aspen clone has spread over 106 acres. Pando is Latin for "I spread," in reference to this remarkable growth.
The grove of 47,000 quaking aspen trunks makes up a clonal colony, meaning the trees are genetically identical. The Pando Tree is a single organism, in which all individual trunks share the same root system.
Plant specimen (2017-09-22) by Lance OdittBRIT Collections
106 acres
The Pando Tree is located in Fishlake National Forest, Central Utah and it spans 106 acres (nearly half a kilometer) of the forest. The Pando Tree is considered one of the world's largest organisms. The entirety of the clone weighs roughly 6,615 tonnes or 13 million pounds.
Plant specimen (2006-09-02) by TewyBRIT Collections
Largest and oldest?
In addition to The Pando Tree's impressive size and weight, it is one of the world's oldest organisms. The exact age of the Pando Tree is difficult to calculate, however it is estimated to be between 16,000 - 80,000 years old.
Populus tremuloides
The Pando Tree is the species Populus tremuloides, also referred to as the Quaking Aspen, Trembling Aspen, Golden Aspen, Mountain Aspen, Trembling Poplar, Alamo Blanco, and Aspen. Populus tremuloides are deciduous trees that are part of the Salicaceae, or Willow Family.
Plant specimen (1936-08) by L.C. HinckleyBRIT Collections
Leaves
Populus tremuloides leaves are small, green in color, and almost round in shape. During the autumn months, the leaves turn bright yellow. When a breeze hits a Populus tremuloides, its leaves rustle and quiver. Hence one of its names "The Trembling Giant".
Plant specimen (2021-03-21) by Lance OdittBRIT Collections
Bark
Populus tremuloides bark has a smooth texture and has a grey-white hue. As the tree matures, the bark becomes more furrowed. Occasionally, the smooth bark is marked by bear claws as a sign to mark their territory.
Endangered
"According to Paul Rogers, an ecologist at Utah State University, the Trembling Giant is in danger".
(Lincoln, 2010)
Tap to explore
When the matured stems of Pando die, new growth typically replaces them. However, there is a marked absence of young stems regenerating, causing The Pando Tree to be vulnerable.
Tap to explore
The Future of The Pando Tree
The remarkable Pando Tree is faced with various threats such as climate change, cattle grazing, a high elk and deer population due to the elimination of predators, misplaced development, insects, disease, and a lack of regeneration.
Story created by Philecology Herbarium, Botanical Research Institute of Texas and Fort Worth Botanic Garden.
References:
Lincoln, (2010, November 11). Pando, the trembling giant. Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pando-the-trembling-giant
Pando, (2021). Pando is the name of the many-trunked tree system that inspired all this. Pando Populus. https://pandopopulus.com/pando-the-tree/
TWC Staff, (2022, September 23). Populus tremuloides. Texas: The University of Texas at Austin. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=potr5
USDA Forest Service, (n.d.). Pando- (I spread). USDA Forest Service. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/fishlake/home/?cid=STELPRDB5393641
Interested in Natural history?
Get updates with your personalized Culture Weekly
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.