Grey Alder (Alnus incana)
The Grey Alder is a medium-sized tree with dull green, ovate leaves forming complete thickets. Produces yellow catkins in March. Highly tolerant of floods. As a collector of nitrogen, the tree makes an eminently suitable pioneer plant.
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Appearance
The Grey Alder is a medium-sized tree with dull green, ovate leaves forming complete thickets. Produces yellow catkins in March. Highly tolerant of floods. As a collector of nitrogen, the tree makes an eminently suitable pioneer plant.
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Leaf upperside
Pointed ovate leaves, dull green above, whitish to blue-green below. 5-10cm long, 3-7cm wide, leaf stem 1.5-3cm long. Slightly leathery surface.
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Flowers
Flowering period III-IV , yellowish-brown male flowers in apical catkins; hairy reddish female flowers.
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Bark
Young bark is smooth and grey-green, turning grey with age. Branches are dark grey-brown or dark red-brown.
Application
Open country, open fields, pioneer tree, stabilization of shores and hillsides, soil improvement, screening, noise abatement, wind-break, bird protection, forage for honey-bees, public areas, parks, urban areas, roadside verges
Native regions
Central Europe
Location parameters
Light: sunny to slightly shady, temperature: normal, soil: slightly dry to moist, stagnant moisture: resistant, soil structure: firm to loose, soil depth: medium to deep, soil quality: low to medium, pH value: 5.5 to 8.0
Demands
Full sun to slight shade; for cold to moderate locations, very frost-hardy; wet to moderately dry soil, all calcareous substrates; resistant to mechanical damage; salt-tolerant; resistant to wind
Growth
Height of growth: 6m to 20m, spread: 8m to 10m, rapid growth potential, growth habits: wide, oblique, loose, upright, weeping, often multi-stemmed, suckering
Leaves
Pointed ovate leaves, dull green above, whitish to blue-green below. 5-10cm long, 3-7cm wide, leaf stem 1.5-3cm long. Slightly leathery surface.
Flowers
Flowering period III-IV , yellowish-brown male flowers in apical catkins; hairy reddish female flowers.
Fruits
Grey-brown ovate cones, 1-1.6cm long, ripen from September onwards.
Bark
Young bark is smooth and grey-green, turning grey with age. Branches are dark grey-brown or dark red-brown.
Roots
Shallow and far-reaching, very intensive root system; damaged roots can form suckers, tolerant of flooding and burial; nitrogen collector