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One of the most common and beautiful trees in Colorado is the aspen,
Populus tremuloides. Aspens are in the willow family and
are closely related to cottonwood, birch and poplar trees. They
are aggressive species that find their foothold in recently burned
landscapes. Fire is essential to the proliferation of aspen in the
wild. Aspen grow very quickly and form tremendous colonies of trees
off of a single root system that can spread for miles. A grove in
Utah is believed to be one of if not the largest living organism
on the earth. In the understory of aspen groves, one can find a
tremendous variety of plants including columbines, Aquilegia
spp. lupines, Lupinus spp. and ferns.
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Campanula rotundifolia
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Planted in the Alpine Rock Garden Aspen Grove are
five species of columbine, including Aquilegia barnebyi,
wild parsley, Conioselinum scopulorum, and the common harebell,
Campanula rotundifolia. The Aspen Grove also features a striking
boulder formation that was painstakingly disassembled and removed
from its natural location, transported to Betty Ford Alpine Gardens
and reassembled precisely as it existed in nature.
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The log cabin near the north entrance to the Alpine Gardens was
constructed to resemble historic mountain cabins and acts as a tool
shed and workshop for the garden staff. Plants in the surrounding
garden include thimbleberry, Rubus parviflorus and red-berried
elder, Sambucus pubens.
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29.
Aspen Grove