bigtooth

Bigtooth is a common name used in botany for plants that have notably large tooth-like serrations on their leaves or other tooth-like features. It is not a formal taxonomic designation, and its use varies by region. The most widely recognized plant associated with the name is the bigtooth aspen, Populus grandidentata, a North American hardwood tree.

Bigtooth aspen is native to the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. It typically grows in mixed hardwood forests and along streams and slopes. The tree can reach about 15–25 meters in height. Leaves are broadly oval to heart-shaped, roughly 6–12 cm long, with large, coarse teeth along the margins; autumn color is yellow. The bark on young trees is light gray and smooth, while older trunks become darker and fissured. It often forms pure stands or thrives as part of mixed stands with species such as sugar maple and white pine. The wood is used for pulp and light structural products.

Other plants bearing the nickname may exist regionally, but the bigtooth aspen remains the most prominent example. The term highlights the feature of pronounced marginal teeth that helped establish the common name.