This picture was taken in the last week of September, 2003. The last two weeks of September are usually prime time for fall color in the Canadian Rockies. Mid-September is best for the trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) and underbrush, and the western larch (Larix occidentalis) trees peak toward the end of the month.
Aspens are the most widely distributed tree in North America. Known as "trembling aspens" in Canada, they are usually called "quaking aspens" in the United States. Although a single aspen can produce a huge amount seed, they generally reproduce by suckers and sprouts from the roots. Thus aspen groves are often a huge, self-perpetuating clone. In fact, the largest organism on the planet is an aspen clone and some groves may be over 10,000 years old.
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