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· How big do alder trees grow? You'll often find alder growing on moist ground near rivers, ponds and lakes. Mature trees can reach a height of around 28m. Alder can live to approximately 60 years. Look for the leaf tip of alder trees - it's never pointed and usually rounded or even indented. Catkins ...
Are alder trees invasive?
Alder Trees have a large and expansive root system. You should consider this tree an invasive root system tree.
What are alder trees good for?
What is Alder Wood Used For? Most of the higher grade lumber is used for furniture, cabinetry, and turned products. Alder is also used in doors, millwork, decorative woodwork, carvings, and edge-glued panels. Alder dries to an even honey tone and can be finished to resemble more expensive fine-grained species.
How fast does an alder tree grow?
two feet per yearMature Common Alder. A popular tree of moist to wet soils, common alder is a moderate to fast-growing (two feet per year) deciduous tree which usually grows to 40 to 50 feet in height with a 20 to 40-foot spread and a 12 to 18-inch trunk but is capable of reaching 80 feet in height in the woods (Fig.
Is alder a good landscape tree?
Alder Trees Make a Great Landscaping Choice The many looks of the Alder tree makes it a desirable landscaping choice. If you want a fast growing tree, the Alder won't disappoint.
Can you keep alder trees small?
Young alder trees benefit from formative pruning to retain a good shape. Smaller branches growing off the central leading trunk that fall below the larger branches can be trimmed off. Young shoots sprouting from the trunk, and root suckers, should also be removed as part of this process.
Do alder trees have deep roots?
The root system of red alder is shallow and spreading where limited by poor drainage; a deep-root system develops on soils with better drainage. The range of red alder extends from southeastern Alaska (lat 60°N) to southern California (lat 34°N), generally within 125 miles of the ocean.
Can I prune an alder tree?
Alder pruning is best performed from late spring to summer. When pruning the alder tree, make sure to remove dying and diseased branches to prevent the problem from spreading. Avoid tearing the wood and bark, as this can attract bugs and make the tree prone to disease.
How far apart should you plant alder trees?
Common alder is normally planted in rows at spacing of 2 m apart and 1.5 m in the row, equivalent to a stocking of 3,300 plants/ha.
Do alder trees lose their leaves?
Continuing with the refrigerator analogy, in the fall, alder trees—just like other deciduous trees—get rid of their old leaves by "sending them to recycling" down on the forest floor. But alders do not take the food out first! They leave the chlorophyll in the leaves, "wasting" valuable resources including nitrogen.
Are alder trees Evergreen?
The alder is also the only native deciduous tree to have tiny cones. Alder is monoecious, which means that both male and female flowers are found on the same tree. They take the form of catkins that appear in early spring, between February and April, usually before the leaves.
What does an alder tree symbolize?
There is a strong symbolism connected to the Alder tree including strength, protection, determination and confidence. The tree is a sign of safety and protection. It is believed to have the ability to protect and hide people in times of danger.
Do alder trees blossom?
Alders are one of the first plants to bloom in winter. You can see the orange-brown catkins hanging down from bare branches, a beautiful sight all winter long. The catkins are the male flowering structure, and release pollen to fertilize the female cones.
How tall do alder trees grow?
Tree types grow 40 to 80 feet (12-24 m.) tall, and include the red and white alders. You can distinguish these two trees by their leaves.
What is an alder tree?
Alder trees ( Alnus spp.) are often used in re-forestation projects and to stabilize soil in wet areas, but you seldom see them in residential landscapes. Nurseries that cater to home gardeners rarely offer them for sale, but when you can find them, these handsome plants make excellent shade trees and screening shrubs.
How to tell the difference between a red and white alder?
You can distinguish these two trees by their leaves. The leaves on a red alder are tightly rolled under along the edges, while those on a white alder are more flat. Sitka and thinleaf alders reach heights of no more than 25 feet (7.5 m.). They can be grown as large shrubs or small trees.
How to identify an alder tree?
Alder Tree Identification. The easiest way of recognizing an alder tree is by its distinctive little fruiting body, called a strobile. They appear in fall and look like 1 inch (2.5 cm.) long cones. Strobiles remain on the tree until the following spring, and the small, nutlike seeds they contain supply winter food for birds and small mammals.
What is the shape of an egg shaped leaf?
The egg-shaped leaves have serrated edges and distinct veins. A central vein runs down the center of the leaf and a series of side veins run from the central vein to the outer edge, angled toward the leaf tip. The foliage remains green until it drops from the tree in fall.
Do alder trees have female flowers?
The female flowers on an alder tree stand upright at the ends of the twigs, while the male catkins are longer and hang down. The catkins persist into winter. Once the leaves are gone, they add subtle grace and beauty to the tree, softening the appearance of the bare branches. Leaves provide another method of alder tree identification.
How long do alder trees live?
Known to live up to 60 years on average, the alder tree’s sense of secrecy hasn’t abated over time. Even in this day and age where the tree is most likely to be grown for its fine wood, one can’t help but get a mystical feeling when being around this giant tree.
Where does the alder tree grow?
It also grows freely in the wetland forests of the UK and Ireland which might explain the origin of the many myths and mysteries surrounding it. In Welsh mythology, the goddess Bran always carries branches of alder.
How do alder trees get their seeds?
The female flowers get pollinated by the wind and develop in small cone-like fruits. The fruits mature during the winter and come spring they open up and release their seeds into the wind. The fruits of the alder tree are not edible. They are nothing but wood cases full of seeds.
Why is alder oil used in herbal medicine?
Traditional Medicine: People into herbal medicine have always used alder oil to treat various ailments including diarrhea, muscle aches, and nausea. The heart-shaped leaves also offer relief to skin diseases.
How many different types of alder trees are there?
Alder Tree Varieties. Alder trees come in eight different species. Which variety you end up growing depends on your location, weather conditions, and how much space you have in your garden or lawn. Here are some of the most common alder varieties.
Why do alder trees have holes in their leaves?
Still, the leaf beetle feeds on and makes large holes in the leaves of the tree.
What is the alder tree?
Steeped in mythology and folklore, the alder tree is formidable and awe-inspiring any way you look at it. Not the kind of tree too afraid to get its feet wet, the alder has been a permanent fixture of swamps, streams, and rivers. So it’s no wonder it has always been associated with mysteries and fairy tales in different cultures throughout the ages.
How tall is an alder tree?
Facts About the Alder Tree. Native to the United Kingdom, the alder tree's official Latin name is alnus glutinosa. It can grow to a towering 40 to 80 feet in height when it is fully grown depending on the type of alder. It is part of the birch family, which you can see in its attractive, light-gray bark that is speckled with white. Advertisement.
What is the best alder tree?
Black Alder: Mostly found in Europe, this type of alder tree is known for its height. White Alder: While most alders prefer to be close to a water source such as streams, rivers and marshy wetlands, this type of alder can withstand drier climates. Green Alder: Small and slow growing with a crown of bright, bushy green leaves, ...
Why are my alder leaves green?
The egg-shaped leaves drop to the ground – perfectly green – in winter to reveal the showy seeds that make this tree so attractive during the colder months. The red alder has a leaf that has a crisp cur on its outer edges. The white alder has leaves that are flatter along the edges.
What is the difference between red and white alder?
The red alder has a leaf that has a crisp cur on its outer edges. The white alder has leaves that are flatter along the edges.
What is green alder?
Green Alder: Small and slow growing with a crown of bright, bushy green leaves, this alder can adapt to soil and weather conditions and is often used as a shrub for landscaping. Advertisement.
What tree produces seeds?
The way that the alder tree produces its seeds is slightly fascinating to arborists. It is the only native British deciduous tree that creates cones. The seeds are grown in rather small cones that pop out from the thin branches of a mature alder tree.
How tall does Sitka Alder grow?
Sitka Alder: It has thin leaves and grows to about 25 feet in height at its full maturity. They are sometimes used as shrubs for privacy or wind protection. Red Alder: This is the largest species that can grow to nearly 80 feet at its peak. They can also be found in the Pacific Northwest.
How big do alder trees get?
Alder ( Alnus) is a genus of flowering deciduous trees in the family Betulaceae. There are about 35 alder species, comprising of large trees and smaller shrub-like trees. Many species of alders grow between 66 and 100 ft. (20 – 30 m) tall.
How long do alder trees live?
Generally, alders are fast-growing trees that live between 60 and 70 years. However, some alder trees live for up to 100 years.
What is the difference between birch and alder?
Alder trees are related to birch trees ( Betula ). The difference between alders and birches is their cones. Alder female flowers become woody conical cones that turn brown during the fall.
How to identify an alder tree?
Alder trees are easily identified by their brown hard, cone-like strobiles that dangle from bare brown-purple twigs that have orange markings. You can also spot alder trees by their light gray bark and orange-brown drooping flowers. Another identifying feature of the alder trees is their pointed egg-shaped green leaves with serrated edges.
What is the difference between a male and female alder tree?
Alder Tree Flowers. Alder male flowers (catkins) are long and slender whereas the female flowers turn to woody round cones (strobiles) An alder tree flower is a type of slender, conical flower cluster called a catkin. Alders are also monoecious trees—meaning they have male and female flowers on the same tree.
How tall is a red alder tree?
Its spreading branches create a conical shape with a slender, rounded crown. Red alder trees grow between 66 and 100 ft. (20 – 30 m) tall. The red alder tree is the largest in the genus Alnus.
What are the leaves on an alder tree?
Generally, alder tree leaves are egg-shaped blades with a central vein and parallel veins from the midriff to the serrated leaf edge. Some alder tree leaves have toothed edges and pointed tips, whereas others are rounded and smooth.
How tall is a white alder tree?
The white alder grows at a fast pace to about 30 feet in height, before slowly creeping towards its full maturation of 50 feet. Some of the tallest specimens of this species have been known to reach 100 feet. The tree gets its common name from its bark color, which ranges from white to gray. It's a good choice if you have a soggy spot in your yard or garden and it has deep green leaves with a fresh fragrance.
What family is an alder tree?
The 30 members of the genus are classified in the Betulaceae family, which is more commonly known as the birch family. The thin bark and light wood of the Alder tree make it obvious that this tree belongs with other Betulaceae species. The most notable features of all varieties of alder trees is its catkins and strobiles.
How did the black alder get its name?
Its Latin name, Alnus glutinosa, tips you off that this tree develops a gummy resin on new leaves and buds. Take note that this alder species can become invasive in some areas. 1 If you prefer the look of leaves that are dissected (divided into many sections), look for the 'Laciniata' and 'Imperialis' cultivars.
What is the color of the bark on an alder tree?
Also known as a speckled alder or mountain alder, this species is commonly seen in the Rocky Mountains of North America. These trees have smooth, gray bark and the underside of the leaves also has a gray appearance. While most other alder trees produce yellow catkins, this tree has reddish-purple catkins that appear each spring.
What is the name of the tree with gummy leaves?
Its Latin name, Alnus glutinosa, tips you off that this tree develops a gummy resin on new leaves and buds. Take note that this alder species can become invasive in some areas. 1 If you prefer the look of leaves that are dissected (divided into many sections), look for the 'Laciniata' and 'Imperialis' cultivars.
Why do alder trees fall green?
Green leaves fall from the tree as it prepares for dormancy. Since these trees are able to fix nitrogen in the soil, they can grow in less than fertile areas.
What is a serrulata tree?
This species is either a shrub or a small tree. It tends to clone itself through suckers, forming a dense thicket of alders if left unchecked. The species name serrulata refers to the margins of the leaves, which are toothed. Also known as a tag alder or swamp alder, these trees need consistently moist soil conditions and are most often found near a water source, like a river or stream. They are most prevalent in the eastern part of North America.
How tall do alder trees get?
Scientific name: Alnus glutinosa. Family: Betulaceae. Origin: native. Conical in shape, mature trees can reach a height of around 28m and live to approximately 60 years. The bark is dark and fissured and is often covered in lichen. Twigs have a light brown, spotted stem which turns ...
What shape do alder trees grow?
Alder trees grow in a conical shape .
How long do alders live?
Alder can live to approximately 60 years.
When do alders bloom?
Flowers are on catkins which appear between February and April. Alder is monoecious, which means that both male and female flowers are found on the same tree. Male catkins are pendulous, measuring 2–6cm, and turn yellow. Female catkins are green and oval-shaped and are grouped in numbers of three to eight on each stalk.
Where do alders live?
Alder is native to almost the whole of continental Europe (except for both the extreme north and south) as well as the United Kingdom and Ireland. Its natural habitat is moist ground near rivers, ponds and lakes and it thrives in damp, cool areas such as marshes, wet woodland and streams where its roots help to prevent soil erosion.
Where do Frankia alni trees grow?
Because of its association with the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Frankia alni, it can grow in nutrient-poor soils where few other trees thrive. Worldwide, there are 30 species in the genus Alnus. They are distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in North, Central and South America.
Is alder wood durable?
Soft and porous, alder wood is only durable if kept wet, and its value to humans is down to its ability to withstand rotting in water. Historically, it has been used in the construction of boats, sluice gates and water pipes. These days, alder wood is used to make timber veneers, pulp and plywood.
