Reproduction of aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx) occurs primarily through asexual root suckering, and establishment by seed in western US landscapes has been considered extremely rare. Here, we describe a natural aspen seedling recruitment event after wildfire in Arizona, occurring during severe drought within low elevation, fenced ponderosa pine plantations. Aspen was not present in these prefire sites, and genetic analysis confirmed that 70 individuals in these exclosures were unique. Eleven years postfire, average seedling diameter was 4.2 cm and average height was 2.3 m. Seedlings established over a 6-year period, with 91% establishing in the first 3 years...