Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)

Aspen trees are clones originating from a single seedling: the colony grows by sending up root suckers to form new trees. Although a single tree can live from 40-150 years, the root system can live thousands of years. The oldest known colony is named Pando and is estimated to be 80,000 years old. Because the bark is rich in a substance similar to aspirin, it was brewed into a tea by American Indians and European Settlers to provide pain relief, soothe arthritis, and reduce fever.

The Identitatum Arborum collection of knitting patterns was created in conjunction with an art installation made for the Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts in summer 2016 for the Natural Threads exhibition. In that art installation I explored the idea of identity using trees as a metaphor.