Do Aspen trees really need full sun?

[cq493p]

Do Aspen trees really need full sun, or can they grow in part sun?

[opabinia51]

Yes, they can. They grow here in the wild in forests where there is no dirct sunlight. Though, they tend to be in areas with more sunlight than one would find in a coniferous forest.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Yeah, they do the open scree or seral landscape reclaimation thing naturally, acting as nursery trees, sheltering early adapting evergreens like firs and spruce...Eventually the aspen gets shaded out and out-competed. Nature does not stand still, but everything has it's place in the grand scheme...

HG