On Sept. 30, 2010, Utah State University geneticist Karen Mock announced that testing of a forest-size collection of Quaking aspen trees, which covers 106 acres in south central Utah’s Fishlake National Forest, has confirmed the clone’s genetic identity as one enormous plant.

The forest named Pando, which means “I spread” in Latin, consists of more than 47,000 genetically identical above ground stems or “ramets” originating from a single underground parent clone. Anyone who has battled stray aspen suckers in their lawns or under their decks will have no trouble envisioning this stand of trees.