Alnus glutinosa
Common Alder, European Alder, Black Alder
Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa
Pyramidal to upright oval tree growing 40 to 60 feet tall. Often grown multistemmed.
Native to moist soils where it will colonize rapidly; tolerates standing water to dry sites. Acid or slightly alkaline soils in sun to part shade. A nitrogen fixer.
Useful for difficult, wet sites. It grows well in infertile areas. A. glutinosa seems to thrive where its roots are completely submerged. It may be a better choice for such sites than either Salix or Populus species.
Glossy dark green in summer. Alternate, simple, 2 to 4 inches long, broadly oval, doubly serrate.
Valvate buds .25 to .5 inch long, stalked, red to red-brown. Male catkins present from fall to spring and offer a good identification feature
Greenish brown stems.
reddish-brown
Small winged nutlet borne in woody persistent strobile.
Seeds, grafting of cultivars.
'Laciniata' - Leaves lobed and cut. Grows 50 to 70 feet tall.
'Pyramidalis' - Upright, columnar form, 40 to 50 feet tall.