What’s the largest organism in the world? You may be surprised to find out that it’s a grove of Quaking Aspen trees near Fish Lake in south-central Utah.

How can a grove of trees be considered one organism? An amazing thing about aspens is that they don’t need seeds to spread. They send out lateral roots that sprout suckers that shoot up and grow into trees. But these trees are actually stems of a single plant because they’re all connected to the same roots. The Utah grove, consisting of over 40,000 individual trees, is called “Pando,” which in Latin means “I spread.”

Pando is not only the largest organism, it’s also the oldest living thing on earth—genetic testing indicates its roots are over 8,000 years old. And if that wasn’t enough, Pando holds the record for being the heaviest organism on earth too. It weighs approximately 13 million pounds—over 6,000 tons. It would take at least 30 blue whales, the largest animal on earth, to weigh as much as Pando.

Unfortunately, Pando is dying. Drought, bark beetles, and disease are killing the trees. New sprouts aren’t surviving. Scientists are trying to figure out how to keep Pando alive.

The activities below will encourage you and your students to take a closer look at trees and appreciate them.

Inside: Stamp of Approval

U.S. Postage Stamp featuring Pando

In 2006 the United States Postal Service made a stamp in commemoration of  Pando, calling it one of the forty “Wonders of America.”

Quaking Aspens, no matter what the size of their colony, are beautiful trees. They got their name because their leaves appear to “quake” or “quiver” in a breeze. In fall, aspen leaves turn vibrant shades of yellow, orange, and sometimes red. They’re one of my all-time favorite trees!

Have your students choose a tree and write a paragraph highlighting three reasons why that tree is special for them. Using a tree field guide and other references, have students design a stamp of their tree. Make the stamps over-sized by having students fill up an entire sheet of drawing paper with their stamp.

Outside: Bark Rubbings

On a recent hike in the Sierra Nevada I “hugged” an aspen to feel it’s smooth bark. My hands were soon coated in the bark’s white powder. Just look at my hand prints on my black pants!

Another way to get a “feel” of a tree’s trunk is to make bark rubbings. Place a piece a paper firmly against a tree trunk and use a crayon to create a rubbing. You may also want to make a rubbing of one of the tree’s leaves. Be sure to write the name of the tree on the rubbing.

The aspen’s white powder also makes a great face. If you’re lucky enough to live near an aspen grove, swipe your finger across the bark of a tree and decorate your face! And click here to see National Geographic artistic photos of other interesting tree trunks.

More Quaking Aspen Fun and Facts

The Green Art Kids blog describes a simple and beautiful art project inspired by Ansel Adam’s photographs of aspens in New Mexico. All you need is paper, masking tape, and watercolors. Truly lovely!

Find an extensive article about Quaking Aspens at the Nature Education Knowledge Project.

A wonderful nonfiction book written with deep appreciation for aspens is simply called Quaking Aspens by Bonnie Holmes (Nature Watch). “Because they nurture the land and create an environment for other plants and animals to live in, aspen trees are often referred to as “the mothers of the forest.”