Shady bank

Thank you, Maggs, they make big colonies when there is water nearby. The send up shoots from the roots.

I always think if there is a group of birches in the middle of nowhere, it's probably an old farm that's been demolished. It's interesting to me that birch trees don't seem to naturalize outside of home gardens - at least I never see it. Maybe the seeds don't travel far, or they don't germinate well in dry western soil. I have no idea how they do in the east. I guess aspens don't rely on seeds, they go shoot-crazy like bamboo.

Voilà!

I've seen it claimed than an aspen grove is actually the same tree, all clones coming up from runners.