Alder Tree Identification
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.
How do I identify an alder tree?
Alder Tree Identification
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.
What does alder wood tree look like?
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 . ... The female flowers on an alder tree stand upright at the ends of the twigs, while the male catkins are longer and hang down.
Where do alder wood trees grow?
Occupying a wide elevational range, they occur from just above sea level to almost 2400 m (8000 ft), primarily in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana . White alder in January, southern Oregon, draped in catkins.
What are alder trees good for?
The wood of certain alder species is often used to smoke various food items such as coffee, salmon, and other seafood . Most of the pilings that form the foundation of Venice were made from alder trees. Alder bark contains the anti-inflammatory salicin, which is metabolized into salicylic acid in the body.
What is the difference between alder and elder trees?
It grows faster than the common alder and can reach 100ft tall. ... Alders may be an acquired taste in the garden, but the elder is much more common. Like the alder, it is by no means glamorous, being a scruffy, shrubby kind of tree, but it has real magic.
Are alder trees invasive?
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.
Do alder trees have deep roots?
Mature red alder trees are typically 70 to 120 ft in height (130 ft maximum) and 10 to 34 in. ... 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 .
Do alder trees fall easily?
It is normal far small, and even fairly large, branches to die and drop, especially in alders. Healthy trees rarely just up and fall over , but a bad storm or combination of weather events can knock even a healthy tree over.
What kills alder trees?
Cut into the bark with a machete all the way to wood. Then squirt in some full strength glyphosate . The bigger the tree the more cuts you need to make around the tree.
Is alder wood poisonous?
Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, alder in the Alnus genus has been reported to cause eye, skin, and respiratory irritation . ... Knotty red alder is usually inexpensive, on par with other domestic utility woods. Clear red alder is more expensive, closer to other domestic cabinet hardwoods.
Is alder wood expensive?
Differences. Alder is a soft wood with a simple, straight grain. ... The cost for alder doors, whether for cabinets or doorways, is about mid-way between inexpensive pine and expensive hardwoods . The downside to alder is that it is much easier to dent and scratch than hardwoods like maple.
What Colour is alder wood?
The sapwood and heartwood of the alder are difficult to differentiate. The wood is reddish-white or reddish-yellow to reddish coloured and darkens when exposed to light.
Are birch and alder the same?
Alders and birches are both in the birch family (Betulaceae). You might say they’re cousins — different genera, with alders in the genus Alnus and birches in Betula. ... Many species of alder and birch have prominent lenticels — prominent enough that the bark isn’t all that smooth.
What animals eat alder?
While alder usually lives for less than 100 years, it offers protective shade and creates conditions for long-lived conifer trees to take root and develop into stable forests. Alder twigs are important food for deer, elk, and moose . Small birds eat the seeds and use the trees for cover and nesting.
Are alder trees good for wildlife?
Wildlife – Alder provides many benefits to wildlife. The pollen from the catkin is an early source of pollen for bees, and if the branches are above a stream or river, the seeds are a food source for fish. Alder is a good species for reforestation , and provide excellent shelter for wildlife in wet areas.
