What are the leaves of alder. Alder is a valuable and medicinal plant. Growing alder in personal plots
The real harbinger of the onset of spring, which at first glance seems to be the most common tree, is alder. Photos of a tree convey all the beauty of such a beauty. Its slender trunk is covered with smooth bark, rounded leaves do not change their color during the season and remain green until the onset of frost.
Alder tree: description
A photo of a representative of the forest shows the richness of her crown, although the latter seems to be sparse due to the uneven, loose arrangement of branches. The flowering process begins in early spring, when there is still snow everywhere; the role of the pollinator is played by the wind.
What does an alder look like? The tree blooms with catkins, divided into female and male, which in the process of maturation (September-October) acquire a reddish-brown color. Females are about 1 cm long, arranged in groups of up to 8 pieces, and woody like cones during the ripening period.
Alder as part of a natural complex
100 years is an average age, and 150 years is the maximum age of such a natural specimen as an alder tree. Where does such an inconspicuous but very useful tree grow? Alder prefers moist soils (these are the banks of streams, rivers and various bodies of water) and often forms thickets, the so-called alder forests: in pure form or mixed. In the north, it is believed that alder is a coniferous tree, in the southern regions, it forms mixed forests with oak and beech. The plant perfectly coexists with birch, spruce, oak, linden and aspen.
Alder is a valuable honey plant. Resinous substances are secreted from its buds and leaves, which serve the bees for the production of propolis.
The dry leaves of the plant are great for feeding livestock.
Black alder - deciduous tree
The most common among the known varieties is black alder, which got its name for the black bark of an adult tree. In Greek mythology, black alder, also characterized by sticky shiny leaves, is associated with the festival of fire and the arrival of spring. Alder (a photo of the tree is given in the article) is very fond of light and moisture; growing in humid places, it can create alder bogs. At the same time, it absolutely does not tolerate standing water.
The growth of black alder, which is considered a loner due to its rejection of trees of other species, is quite fast. The plant can grow up to 20 meters. Flowering begins in April, and the fruits (cones with a narrow wing) ripen only at the end of the next spring.
Black (sticky) alder, more capricious compared to other varieties, is included in the Red Book of Moldova, Kazakhstan and some regions of Russia. Parks and squares are planted with this tree, thanks to the widely branched root system, it is planted along water bodies, thus strengthening the banks.
Beauty with brown earrings
Alder - a tree, the description of which makes it possible to highlight its main characteristics, is an equally popular species of the birch family. In height, gray alder can reach up to 16 meters. Therefore, it is planted to secure the ravines and the coastal part. Propagated by root scions, cuttings and seeds.
What does an alder look like? The tree has a gray, slightly curved trunk, gray leaves, brown catkins. These are the main characteristics by which alder can be distinguished from other plants. Frost resistance and the ability to grow in depleted soils and wetlands are the advantages that the alder tree is characterized by.
Description, photo of the green beauty, an integral part of the natural complex, will allow you to get to know her better.
Alder in decorative arts
Growth is quite active, especially at a young age; during this period, wild thickets are most often formed by it. Due to such characteristics as the uniformity of the wood structure, its softness, toughness and pliability, alder is a tree that has found wide application in industry. Its wood has long been used as an optimal material for artistic carving, is the basis for the creation of carved tableware, decorative panels and sculptures. Dry distillation from alder produces charcoal, which artists use in their work, creating future masterpieces, and wood vinegar. Sagging on the trunks has a decorative value.
Manufacturing application
Alder is easy to process, well planed, sawn, glued. Perfectly tolerates polishing, varnishing, staining; when screwing in screws, it does not split, when hammering in nails it can flake off. When dried, wood, which is also used in the production of gunpowder, does not change its properties: it dries quickly, does not warp or crack. Due to these qualities, alder is used in the manufacture of musical instruments and parts for them.
Alder wood is resistant to water, does not rot, therefore it serves as a material in the manufacture of bridges, rafts, underwater structures and supports. Of metals, it is critical of iron and in places where iron nails are hammered will cause a reaction of their rusting and, as a result, the appearance of gray circles at the points of contact. He does not like contact with cement mortar, which causes an alkaline reaction inside the tissues of the tree and its decay.
Alder is a tree that is widely used in the manufacture of plywood and particle board. Shavings from it are added as a binder antiseptic in the production of boards from beech, spruce, pine shavings.
Alder as a building material
Alder wood is used in the construction of wooden houses, carved entrance gates, well lathing, production and restoration of furniture and decorative interior details. Smooth trunks are used as posts for hedges.
It is an excellent material for making packing boxes, pallets, spools, various casting molds. Alder, intended for outdoor construction, requires mandatory treatment with an antiseptic. Otherwise, the tree will start to rot, especially on close contact with open ground.
In industrial production, paper is made from alder wood, the waste is used as fuel. Alder wood is considered to be a quality heating oil. With their help, excess soot was previously burned out of pipes. Such firewood burns well and is characterized by high heat transfer and no waste. No wonder they have the name "royal", because in ancient times they were used to heat the royal chambers.
Black alder bark is a first-class material for the production of dyes for wool and leather, giving red, black and yellow colors. The brown dye is obtained from the buds.
The use of alder in traditional medicine
The beneficial properties of alder are widely used in medicine: traditional and folk, using mostly cones, leaves and tree bark, which contains tannins. Decoctions and infusions from cones and bark are taken as an astringent, anti-inflammatory, disinfectant, antibacterial and hemostatic agent. A purulent wound will quickly heal if a leaf of a black alder tree is applied to it.
For constipation and hemorrhoids, vodka infusion of earrings is used; with diathesis and eczema, they are treated with a decoction of flowers collected at the beginning of the flowering period. A decoction of alder cones perfectly helps to normalize the natural intestinal microflora after taking antibiotics and is used in the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Also, such a remedy helps well with inflammatory processes of the nasopharynx and throat, colds, tonsillitis and pharyngitis.
In folk medicine, for nosebleeds in the nose, it is recommended to lay fresh alder leaves in the form of tampons. A decoction of them is good for gout, arthritis, joint pain. To prepare dry baths, fresh, freshly harvested alder leaves are heated in the sun or in an oven and spread in a thick layer on the bed where the patient is placed. They cover the whole body and wrap it up with a warm blanket. The duration of such a session is about an hour. The best effect will be if the leaves are placed in a deep tub, and when they get warm, you need to put the patient there up to the neck. Treatment with birch leaves is carried out in the same way.
Alder brooms, which are good for cleansing, disinfecting, toning the skin and giving strength and vigor, are very popular in bath procedures.
Alder in veterinary medicine
In a number of countries, fresh alder leaves are used to control fleas in pets. They are scattered on the floor. A concentrated decoction of the leaves has recently been used in the fight against bedbugs - for treating walls and washing beds. The bumps were given to pets for bloody diarrhea.
Due to the content of vitamin C, carotene and proteins, black alder leaves are widely used in traditional medicine. A dry extract is produced from the cones - hop, which is used in cases of dysentery; from wood - tablets of activated carbon.
In cooking, sawdust and firewood are used to smoke meat and fish.
Collecting cones begins in late autumn and continues until March. To do this, the ends of the branches on which the cones grow are carefully cut off with a secateurs, after which the latter are cut off. Fallen stems are unusable. The collected raw materials, laid out in an even layer, are dried under a canopy or in attics in a ventilated room. In warm weather, the buds are dried in the open air, stirring occasionally. The shelf life of the fruit is 3 years.
Their height under favorable conditions can reach 35-40 m, the maximum diameter of the trunk can reach 50-60 cm. The crown is well developed, dense, highly decorative, ovoid, narrow pyramidal, cylindrical or other shape. The bark is smooth, sometimes fissured, from light to dark brown.
Shoots are cylindrical, of different colors, glabrous or pubescent, with an irregularly triangular greenish-gray core, round or nearly round light lenticels. The alder genus is variable in pubescence and galliness, and the difference can be both between species and within a species. The buds are sessile or on legs, with two scales, resinous or pubescent. Leaves only on growth shoots, alternate, petiolate, simple, whole, occasionally slightly lobed, usually toothed or lobed-toothed along the edge, with early decaying stipules. The leaf shape is different - from almost round, ovoid, obovate to lanceolate. The venation is pinnate.
Male and female flowers are monoecious, developing on the same shoot. Alder usually blooms before the leaves open or simultaneously with it, this facilitates pollination, as the alder is pollinated by the wind. When growing outside plantings, alder begins to bear fruit from 8-10 years, in plantings - from 30-40 years. Fruiting is almost annual, but fruitful occurs once every 3-4 years.
Alder propagates by seeds, all species give numerous pneumatic shoots, and some - and root suckers. The ability to reproduce vegetatively varies from species to species and between members of the same species. Fruits are single-seeded, flattened, small nuts with two lignified stigmas, bordered by a narrow leathery or membranous wing, located in small woody cones, into which female inflorescences turn. Seeds are spread by wind and water, spreading begins in the fall and can continue until spring. After the seed leaves, the cones remain on the tree for a long time.
Representatives of the alder genus are mainly moisture-loving plants; they grow along the banks of rivers, streams, lakes, in grassy bogs, at the foot of hills, and are often confined to rich, well-drained soils. Black alder and gray alder belong to soil-improving species, since nodules with nitrogen-fixing organisms are located on their roots. The leaves of these types of alder are high-ash, contain a large amount of nitrogen, litter from alder leaves increases the fertility of the soil, makes it looser. The root system is shallow, but powerful, as it is well developed, especially in the upper layers of the soil. Many species of alder are pioneering, they are the first to populate fires, clearings, mountain outcrops, abandoned pastures, and then are replaced by other tree species.
The area of growth of alder covers the zones of cold and temperate climates of the Northern Hemisphere, the range of some species reaches in South America along the Andes to Chile, and in Asia to the mountains of Bengal and the mountains of North Vietnam. In the northern part of the range, alder is an admixture of coniferous stands, in the north of the range, some species reach the tundra, in the mountains - to the subalpine belt. In the southern part of the range, alder is part of beech and hornbeam forests.
Alder hard (Alnusfirma) - a tree or shrub up to 3 m in height with flexible branches. Shoots are grayish brown or yellowish brown, pubescent. The kidneys are sessile. Leaves are ovate-oblong or ovate-lanceolate, with 12-18 pairs of veins, 5-12 cm long, 2.5-5 cm wide, pointed at the apex, with a rounded or unequal base, pubescent along the veins below; pubescent petioles, 0.4-1.3 cm long. Catkins single or paired, 5-7 cm long, bloom in March-April. Cones are also single or paired, 2 cm in length, on pubescent legs up to 2-5 cm in length. It has several decorative forms. Natural range: Japan. In St. Petersburg, it is not hardy enough, should be tested in areas south and west of Moscow.
Hanging alder (Alnuspendula) - a tree up to 8 m in height or a shrub with a weeping crown. Young shoots are pubescent, with age they become smooth, brick-brown. The buds are sessile, the leaves are elongate-lanceolate, 5-12 cm in length, with 18-26 pairs of veins, pointed, pubescent along the veins below. Cones 8-15 mm in length, collected 2-5 in hanging clusters 3-6 cm long. Natural habitat: Japan. Introduced to the USA in 1862.
Shrub alder (Alnusfruticosa) in the northern parts of the range, especially in the tundra, a squat and even creeping shrub with shortened and twisted branches; in the southern parts of the range in Siberia and the Far East - a tree reaching a height of 6 m. A beautiful decorative large-leaved shrub that can be used in landscaping as a shrub that retains green leaves for a long time in autumn. The bark is dark gray, young shoots are reddish-brown with yellowish lenticels. Leaves broadly ovate, evenly tapering upward, sharp, with a rounded or unequal base, 5-10 cm long, 3-7 cm wide, with 8-10 pairs of veins, dark green above, glossy or matte, glabrous, paler below , in the lower part along the veins with reddish hairs. Catkins 3.5-6 cm in length, bloom simultaneously with the deployment of leaves. Cones are oval, 1.2-2.0 cm in length, collected in a cluster with 1-3 leaves at the base. Blooms from late April to June, in the tundra even in July. Distribution: northern regions of the European part of Russia. It grows in the north on riverine sands, along forest edges, in deciduous forests. In the southern regions of the range - in mountain valleys, on pebbles, on gravelly slopes and stony taluses, it reaches the size of a tree of medium height there.
A close view is green alder (Alnusviridis), common in the mountains of Western Europe. This tree is up to 20 m high. The bark is smooth, ash-gray, young branches are brown and grayish-green, brick-brown shoots with light lenticels. The leaves are oval-ovate, evenly tapering upward, sharp, with a rounded base. Known in culture in St. Petersburg, in the park of the Forestry University, where it bears fruit, as well as in Moscow, Tallinn and Tartu.
Manchurian alder (Alnusmanshurica) - a tree reaching a height of 15 m, with a trunk up to 25 cm in diameter, less often a tall spreading shrub. The bark is smooth, dark gray. Sessile buds, leaves 7-8 cm long, 2.5-8 cm wide, broadly elliptic with a short obtuse acumen, glabrous, lateral veins 7-9 pairs. Catkins bloom at the same time as the leaves. Blooms in May. Natural area: Far East (Primorsky Territory), China (Manchuria), Korea. Grows along river banks on sandy or rocky soil.
Alder Maksimovich (AlnusMaximowiczii) - a tree up to 10 m in height. The bark on the trunk is gray with rounded lenticels, light brown shoots with numerous lenticels. Sessile buds, leaves broadly or orbicularly ovate, 7-10 cm long and 7-8 cm wide, with a wide heart-shaped base, 7-10 pairs of lateral veins; petioles 1-3 cm long. Cones 1.5-2 cm long, on legs. Blooms in May-June. Habitat: Far East (Primorsky Territory, Sakhalin), Northern Japan. Grows along the banks of streams and rivers. In St. Petersburg, it is quite winter-hardy.
Kamchatka alder (Alnuskamtschatica) - tree or shrub, 1-3 m in height, with a thick main trunk pressed against the soil, with ascending, straight branches forming a dense crown. In culture, it usually grows in a wide bush, without forming the main trunk. The bark is dark gray with lighter, large lenticels. The buds are sessile, highly resinous, pointed, 0.5 cm in length. Leaves are ovoid, dark green above and lighter below, with a short pointed tip, with a rounded base, 5-10 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, with 8-9 pairs of veins; petioles 1-2 cm long. Blooms before leaves appear, at home in May-June, in St. Petersburg - in May. Cones are oval, dark brown, 12 mm in length, collected in clusters of 3-5 pieces. The fruits ripen in autumn and fall off in winter and spring. Natural area: North-Eastern Siberia, Far East (Kamchatka, Okhotsk coast, Northern Sakhalin). It grows on mountain slopes and stony placers, in the undergrowth of birch forests, in river valleys, in the mountains forms an alder belt, at the upper border of the forest it becomes a squat shrub with small foliage. The bark and leaves are used to produce paint that dyes the skin. In St. Petersburg, it grows well in the park of the Botanical Garden, blooms and bears fruit. Due to its decorative crown and unpretentiousness, it can be widely used in landscaping the northern regions of the forest zone.
Alder cut (Alnussinuata) - a tree up to 12 m high, with a narrow crown and almost horizontal branches, or a shrub. Decorative due to large green foliage. It grows quite satisfactorily on cold and swampy soils. Shoots in youth with pubescence, buds are sessile, leaves are ovoid, 6-12 cm in length, pointed, with a rounded or broadly wedge-shaped base, sharp-toothed, light green above and paler below, with 5-10 pairs of veins, glabrous or pubescent along midveins, sticky in youth; petiole with a groove, 1.5-2 cm in length. Flowers bloom at the same time as leaves or later. Cones about 1.5 cm in length, 3-6 in brushes on thin legs, up to 2 cm long. Natural habitat: North America - from Alaska to Oregon. Quite stable in St. Petersburg.
Alder heart-shaped (Alnuscordata) - a tree reaching a height of 15 m, young shoots are sticky, later brick-brown, glabrous. Buds on legs, leaves are almost round or broadly ovate, 5-10 cm in length, with a deep cordate base, shortly pointed or rounded at the apex, dark green and shiny above, lighter below, pubescent in youth along the veins, petioles 2-3 cm in length. Anther catkins are collected in 3-6 clusters, each 2-3 cm long. Cones are erect, ovoid, 1.5-2.5 cm in length. Habitat: Italy and Corsica. Decorative with a rounded crown and glossy leaves, similar to pear leaves. Grows near water bodies. Introduced into culture in England in 1840.
Heart-leaved alder (Alnussubcordata) - tree 15-20 m high or shrub. Shoots pubescent, reddish-brown, with light lenticels. Kidneys on legs, pubescent, ovate, obtuse. Leaves from rounded to oblong-ovate, 5-16 cm in length, 4-11 cm in width, pointed at the top, with a cordate or rounded base, slightly sticky, finely serrate, glabrous above, dark green, pubescent below along the veins and with barbules of hairs in the corners of the veins; lateral veins 10-12 pairs. Catkins are collected 3-5 in terminal racemes. Axillary cones, single or paired, oval-elliptical, 2.5 cm long and 1.3 cm wide. Natural area: Caucasus, Iran. In deciduous forests of the lower zone, in the mountains along the banks of streams up to an altitude of 1000 m above sea level. The wood is reddish-brown, with veins, dense, resistant in water, well cut.
In St. Petersburg, it is not hardy enough. Introduced into culture in England in 1838, in the USA in 1860.
Seaside alder (Alnusmaritime) - tree or shrub up to 10 m high. Shoots are pubescent at first, faded orange or red-brown. The buds are pedunculated, pointed, pubescent. Leaves are elliptical or obovate, pointed or shortly pointed, 6-10 cm in length, 3-6.5 cm in width, shiny rich green above, light green and glabrous below, petioles slightly pubescent. Cones are collected in 2-4, about 2 cm long, on short legs. Blooms in autumn. Looks spectacular in autumn thanks to dark green foliage and yellow dangling earrings. Habitat: North America. In St. Petersburg, it is not hardy enough. Introduced in England in 1878. Close view - alder brilliant (Alnusnitida) blooming also in autumn. A tree reaching a height of up to 30 m. Habitat: Himalayas.
Japanese alder (Alnusjaponica) - a tree up to 25 m in height. It has a decorative ovoid crown and dense dark green foliage that persists for a long time in autumn. Young shoots are glabrous or slightly pubescent; light olive or brick-brown with lenticels. Buds on legs are naked, red-brown, resinous. Leaves narrowly elliptical or oblong-lanceolate, 6-12 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, gradually pointed towards the apex, with a wedge-shaped base, slightly pubescent in youth, dark green shiny above, lighter below, petioles pubescent or glabrous, 2 - 3.5cm long. Cones are oval or oval-oblong, 1.2-2 cm long and 1-1.5 cm wide. Catkins bloom in early spring and are collected in clusters of 4-8 pieces. Habitat: Far East (Primorsky Territory), China and Japan. Produces solid and dense wood. In St. Petersburg, it is not hardy enough, it is suitable for areas south and west of Moscow. Introduced in England in 1880, in the USA in 1886.
Black alder, or sticky (Alnusglutinosa) - a tree reaching a height of 35 m, in its youth with an ovoid, and then with a cylindrical crown. It grows quickly, lives up to 100 and even 300 years. Young branches are smooth, often sticky, brick-brown with whitish lenticels. The bark of the trunk is dark brown, cracks with age. Kidneys obovate, 0.5-0.8 cm in length, sticky, on legs. Leaves obovate or rounded, young - sticky, glossy, glabrous or hairy, adults - dark green, slightly shiny, underneath with red beards in the vein corners, 4-9 cm long, 3-7 cm wide, petioles 1-2 cm long ... Leaves in the fall may not change color and fall off green. Catkins are collected in a raceme of 3-6, drooping, 4-7 cm in length. Pistillate catkins are located below the staminate ones in the leaf axils, 3-5, on legs, which are usually longer than them. Blooms in late March - early April. Cones broadly ovate, 12-20 mm long and 10 mm wide, 3-5 sit on a long stem. Fruits ripen by November, spill out by spring, spread by water and wind. The seed year happens every 3-4 years. They begin to bear fruit from 10 years old with free growth, at 40 years old - in plantations. The germination rate of freshly harvested seeds is 40-70%, gradually decreases, but lasts 2-3 years. Gives abundant pneumatic growth up to 80-90 years.
The wood is sapwood, almost white in a newly felled tree, it quickly acquires a light red hue in the air. Annual layers are clearly visible in all sections. Alder wood is used in joinery, furniture and turning industries, in the manufacture of plywood, piles, well logs, and supports for mines are made from it. The bark contains up to 16% tannins, gives black, red and yellow colors. The leaves are medicinal. Natural area: Western Siberia, Crimea, Caucasus, Western Europe, Asia Minor, North Africa. Hardy, moderately hardy.
Forms forests on excessively moistened fertile soils along streams and rivers over large areas. In the best conditions of existence, the alder stand here reaches almost 15 m in height and 11.5 cm in diameter at the age of 20.
In landscaping, black alder is widely used within its range on soils with a high level of groundwater, especially near ponds, lakes, rivers and streams. Garden forms that propagate vegetatively are used in single plantings. On fertile soils, black alder forms a deeply sinking root system. It grows well on fertile soils with strong flowing moisture, as well as on sandy soils with deep groundwater. Does not grow on poor and dry soils.
Alder bearded (Alnusbarbata) -tree, reaching a height of 35 m, with an ovoid crown and trunk up to 60 cm in diameter, covered with dark gray-brown bark. Shoots are fluffy, brown with light lenticels, buds on short legs, obovate, dark brown. Leaves are ovate or obovate with a pointed apex, 6-13 cm in length, 4-9 cm in width, young leaves are fluffy on both sides, after the top are glossy and dark green, below are light green pubescent with red hairs in the corners of the veins, petioles hairy in youth, 1.5-2 cm in length. They bloom simultaneously with the blooming of leaves, anther catkins are collected 3-4 in the upper part of the shoot. Cones are oblong, 1.5-2 cm in length, 0.6-0.8 cm in width, collected in clusters of 3-5 on long legs. Habitat: Caucasus (Ciscaucasia, Western and Eastern Transcaucasia), Asia Minor. In lowlands, on marshy and alluvial soils, it forms forests, rises into the mountains along rivers to an altitude of 2000 m above sea level, in the lower part of the mountains it often grows as part of beech, chestnut and hornbeam forests. This is the most widespread type of alder in the Caucasus. Its wood is similar in physical and mechanical properties to black alder wood and is widely used in the economy. The bark contains up to 16.5% tannides, gives black, red and yellow colors. Isabella grape vines are often planted using live alder as a support.
Alder is gray, or white (Alnusincana) - a tree up to 23 m in height, with a narrow ovate crown and a trunk up to 50 cm in diameter. Lives up to 50-60 years. The bark is smooth, light gray. Leaves are ovoid or oval-elliptical, 4-10 cm long, 3.5-7 cm wide, with a rounded or weakly cordate base, young leaves are pubescent, adult leaves are almost glabrous above, gray-green pubescent below, densely pubescent along the veins , with 9-13 pairs of veins; petioles 1-2 cm long, soft felt. Blooms before the leaves open, 2-3 weeks earlier than black alder. Stamen catkins are arranged together in 3-5 pieces, sessile or on short legs. Cones of 8-10 pieces, elliptical, black-brown, about 1.5 cm long and 7-8 cm wide. Seed trees begin to bear fruit from 8-10 years, coppice trees from 5-7 years. Gives abundant root suckers and shoots from the stump. Fruiting is annual, abundant.
Wood differs from black alder wood in a redder shade, and is inferior to black alder wood in terms of physical and mechanical properties. It is used in the same way as black alder wood. In the best growing conditions, gray alder gives at the age of 40 years up to 250 m 3 of wood from 1 hectare. The bark contains a small amount of tannides, gives dye. Forms a superficial root system, located mainly in the upper soil layer. Habitat: the European part of Russia, Western Siberia, the Caucasus, Western Europe, North America. In the Caucasus, it rises to an altitude of 2000 m above sea level. Occurs in river floodplains together with willows and black alder.
Forms shrub thickets usually on felling areas, fires and abandoned arable lands. It is not as demanding on soils as black alder, but rarely grows on poor dry sandy soils; grows better than black alder in swampy soils. More light-requiring and frost-hardy than black alder. Hardy, relatively shade-tolerant. It is short-lived, as it is quickly replaced by other species, especially spruce. Improves the soil by forming soft humus from high-ash and nitrogen-containing foliage, enriches the soil with nitrogen.
Alder wrinkled (Alnusrugosa) - tree up to 8 m tall. Sometimes this species is considered not as independent, but as a variety of gray alder. The buds are glabrous, pubescent, with legs. Leaves are elliptical or obovate, 5-10 cm in length, glabrous below or pubescent along the veins, rarely completely pubescent. Cones of 4-10 pieces are collected in a brush, the upper ones are sessile, the lower ones have short legs, ovoid, 1-1.5 cm in length. Natural range: North America. In St. Petersburg it is quite stable.
Kola alder (Alnuskolaensis)- a small tree up to 8 m high with twisted knotty shoots. This species is sometimes regarded as a variety of gray alder. The bark on the trunk and old branches is yellowish, shiny, leaves on pubescent, reddish petioles, elliptical and oval-elliptical, obtuse at the top, serrate along the edge, dark green below, glabrous or sparsely pubescent along the veins. It grows on the Kola Peninsula, occurs along river valleys and lake shores.
Alder fluffy (Alnushirsuta)- shrub or small tree, reaching 20 m in height and 50-60 cm in diameter, with rounded obtuse blunt-pointed leaves, 4-7 cm long and 3-5.5 cm wide, rich green above, glossy, glaucous below, glabrous or hairy veins, lateral veins 7-8 pairs. The bark is smooth, brick-brown in color. Shoots are gray with tomentose pubescence, becoming naked with age. Differs in a significant difference in leaves in size, shape and color, even within the same tree. Its properties are similar to that of black alder. Natural area: Western and Eastern Siberia, Primorye, Amur region, Korea, China, Northern Japan. One of the most hardy types of alder. Occurs along the edges and in the undergrowth of coniferous forests. It grows in the floodplains of streams and rivers, in grassy swamps and near springs. It turned out to be stable in the conditions of St. Petersburg.
Alder red (Alnusrubra) - a beautiful, decorative tree with large leaves, reaching 20 m in height. The bark is light gray, almost without cracks. Shoots are brick-red, young shoots are pubescent. Kidneys on legs, red. Leaves are ovoid, 7-12 cm long, pointed, glossy above, grayish-green, glabrous below or with short rusty pubescence, with 12-15 pairs of veins, petioles and veins are reddish or yellowish. Cones 6-8, ovoid, 1.5-2.5 cm in length, on short reddish legs or sessile. Habitat: North America - from Alaska to California. Introduced into culture since 1884.
Alder amphibious (Alnuscremastogyne) - tree up to 40 m tall. Young, pubescent shoots are brick-brown; over time, the pubescence disappears. Kidneys on legs. The leaves are narrowly obovate or elliptical, pointed at the apex, 6-14 cm long, smooth dark green above, light green below, 9-12 pairs of veins. Stamen and pistillate catkins solitary in axils of young leaves. Cones 1.5-2 cm long, with thin legs. Natural range: Western China. In St. Petersburg, it is not hardy enough. Introduced in England in 1907.
Wood
Alder wood is homogeneous in structure, annual rings and narrow core rays are hardly distinguishable on an untreated surface, but after processing and coating with transparent varnishes and stains, they become more distinguishable with the naked eye, form a beautiful, interesting and highly decorative pattern, especially on tangential sections. The annual layers are not always distinguishable, since the late wood, although slightly darker than the early one, can be difficult to notice this difference. In all sections, rare false-wide medullary rays are clearly distinguishable. The boundaries of the annual layers are slightly bent when they are crossed by a pseudo-wide medullary ray. The pores on the cells of the medullary rays are very small. Sometimes alder has a false core - a darker, dark brown or brick-brown color, the inner zone of the wood. The most common alder defect is the presence of brown or reddish-brown heart rot, which significantly reduces the quality of the wood obtained.
Alder is a scattered-vascular non-nucleated breed. Its wood in a freshly cut state is white, but in the air it quickly acquires a color from orange-red to brick-brown. Alder wood is of low density, soft, light, dries out a little, almost does not crack upon drying, not resistant to decay. Easily processed with cutting and polishing tools, the surface is clean, smooth, slightly velvety. In water, alder wood is highly resistant, moderately impregnated, stained and etched.
The complete swelling of alder wood practically does not correlate with the density of absolutely dry wood and the basis density of wood, but there is a tendency for swelling to increase with increasing density. In black alder, the dependence of the ultimate strength on density at a moisture content of 10.32% is strongly pronounced, and in gray alder, the ultimate strength weakly correlates with the density at the time of testing. The tensile strength and toughness of alder wood are weakly correlated with density.
The vascular pore is punctate. Fibrous tracheids are thin-walled, angular or rounded in cross-section, of different diameters, distributed haphazardly and connected alternately. Libriform fibers are typical, thick-walled, slightly compressed in the radial direction. In late wood, the fibers of libriform are somewhat more compacted than in early wood. In addition to the typical fibers of libriform, living fibers are occasionally found, the walls of such libriform fibers are slightly thinner, the content of living cells is a supply of nutrients.
Usage
Table 2. Physical and mechanical properties of alder wood
Table 3. Average indicators of the main physical and mechanical
properties of alder wood (numerator - at a moisture content of 12%,
denominator - at humidity 30% and above)
Table 4. Indicators of mechanical properties of alder wood,
referred to 1 kg / m
Table 5. Indicative indicators of physical and mechanical
alder bark properties
The most economically valuable species is black alder, since its range is larger than that of other species of this genus. Gray alder, the range of which is also wide, due to its biological qualities, rarely reaches sufficient size and often has a curved trunk, which causes insufficient output of high-quality wood. It can grow into a straight tree with a voluminous trunk only under optimal conditions.
Alder wood is soft, light, cut well, has good dimensional stability, therefore it is widely used for the manufacture of various furniture, toys, turning products and small handicrafts. Alder wood is used to make veneer, plywood, chipboards, often in combination with other species such as pine, spruce and beech; boxes and pallets are made of alder. Since alder wood is characterized by high resistance to moisture, it is used where interaction with water is inevitable: in bridge construction, housing construction, it was previously used in the manufacture of piles and water pipes. Alder is often used as a fuel. Obtained from alder and charcoal, which is used for painting.
Alder wood is well impregnated with stains, therefore it is often used to imitate valuable types of wood (cherry, mahogany, ebony) and restore furniture, interior decoration parts and other valuable wood items.
In the manufacture of decks of various stringed musical instruments, the main material is resonant spruce wood, the reserves of which are limited. Therefore, often the soundboards of musical instruments are made of other materials, for example, three-layer birch plywood, which drastically reduces the acoustic properties of such instruments. Analysis of the resonance and acoustic properties of domestic wood species showed that the most suitable substitute for resonant spruce is black alder. Black alder has significantly fewer knots than resonant spruce, which increases wood yield. Black alder wood is characterized by physical, mechanical and acoustic properties close to those of resonant spruce and significantly superior to the properties of three-layer birch plywood. It should be noted that the cost of black alder decks is almost equal to the cost of manufacturing birch plywood decks and significantly lower than the cost of resonant spruce decks. This indicates the prospects for the use of black alder wood in musical production.
In official and folk medicine, infusions, decoctions and extracts of alder bark, leaves and cones are used as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hemostatic, wound-healing, immunomodulatory drugs. Alder bark is used in tanning and dyeing leather. Also, black, yellow and red paints are obtained from the bark.
Alder is a highly decorative species with shiny, rich green foliage that improves the soil, therefore various types of alder are widely used in landscaping.
It is necessary to take into account such a defect of alder as heart rot, which by the age of 60 affects most of the trees, and not to allow alder forests to stagnate.
In view of the structural features and physical and mechanical properties of wood and biological characteristics, alder is a promising species for forest growing and wood use.
Elena KARPOVA
Anton KUZNETSOV,
Cand. biologist. Sciences, Assoc. department general ecology,
plant physiology
and wood science SPbGLTU
Alder is one of the most common in temperate zones. It is used in construction and traditional medicine. But this can often be confused with birch, which also has earrings. Therefore, it is important to understand what kind of alder tree it is and why it is given such preference.
Botanical description
Alder is a dicotyledonous plant, a close relative of birch. This genus includes both trees and trees, so scientists have a large number of species and subspecies. Black alder (Alnus glutinosa) is considered a type species.
Wilha, as the plant is also called, is deciduous, which can adapt to different habitats. Alder leaves are colored in many shades of green, cuttings and serrated at the edges, and their shape depends on the life form. 
An interesting feature are the cells of the epidermis, a slight pubescence that is present on the branches, leaves and buds. This feature helps in life, but does not fulfill the function of protection from.
The plant is often described as “a tree with catkins”. This is due to the fact that a spike-shaped inflorescence grows at the ends of the shoots. It is in them that pollen is formed. The ovules are in small spikelets. The tree has a fruit - a small nut.
Habitat
The tree is common in areas that fall into the temperate zone. The habitat also depends on the life form. Therefore, it can be found even in the mountains of South America.
Most often, alder grows on swampy forests. Its habitat also extends to the tundra, which is located in the subarctic climatic zone. 
Popular types
Any of us may have different ideas of what an alder looks like. After all, its type depends on the place of growth. There are up to 40 species in the genus. The main difference between trees is growth and leaves, so let's take a closer look with a photo of the most popular representatives of the Alder genus.
Italian
In the wild, it grows in southern Italy and Albania. The tree is unpretentious to, but the habitat is usually near water. "Italian" reaches 15-20 meters in height (less often 25-28 m), the trunk is no more than 1 m in diameter.
This species is often confused with cordifolia alder. But they differ, firstly, in the name (Alnus cordata - Italian (heart-shaped), Alnus subcordata - heart-shaped); secondly, the habitat. 
The leaves on Italian alder are dense, smooth and can last until December, are oval in shape and up to 12 cm long, very similar to leaves and.
This one reaches 3 m in height. The habitat is an island in the Japanese archipelago - Kyushu. Wind-resistant, serrated leaves, oblong up to 12 cm in length. The branches are thin and flexible, sometimes with a gray coating.
Catkins are often paired up to 7 cm. Blooms from March. gets along well in humid climates. Wood is tougher than other types. 
Black is the type species of the genus. Also known as European due to its habitat. Young leaves are sticky, so the name "sticky" is also found. The tree can have two trunks, reaching a height of 35 m.
The crown is not dense, but at the same time it is voluminous (12 m in diameter). The trunk is up to 1 m in diameter and has black bark. Flowering usually occurs in April. Photophilous tree, tolerates moisture well due to the absence of organs responsible for moisture consumption.
If black alder grows in low-lying bogs, then alder bogs can form. 
In the wild, this tree species grows in China. But now it can be found in many parks in England. This tree is distinguished by its height (up to 40 m) and lowered branches. The leaves are long and narrow, the catkins are solitary and located in the leaf axils.
Each of the species can be attacked by fungi, and the droplet is no exception. Marsupial mushrooms infect female catkins and can cause their proliferation. Some species of fungi of the genus Tarfina form "witch's brooms" - a cluster inside the crowns, usually similar to a nest.
Gray alder is found throughout Europe, North America and Asia Minor. In the wild, it grows rapidly, bears fruit once a year, but abundantly, the seeds are carried by wind or water. Often paired with black alder near water.
It is also distributed in Siberia together with fluffy alder. medium in height (20 m) with a relatively thin trunk (up to 50 cm in diameter). The tree grows in sunny areas, hardy and withstands strong winds due to the flexibility of the branches.
Leaves are serrated, rough, oval and up to 10 cm long. Gray alder tolerates stagnant water in the ground. It does not occur on sandy and sandy loam because of low acidity and humidity. 
The Japanese plant species lives on the entire east coast of Asia. It is distinguished by its olive-colored branches. Standard height (up to 25 m). The crown is dense, rounded. Leaves are sparsely toothed, smooth and no more than 12 cm in length.
Female inflorescences - up to 8 pieces at the end of the brushes. Due to the fact that the leaves last until the first frost, it is popular in. 
One of, but can reach the height of a tree. The description of this type does not differ from the typical one. However, the range includes only the states of North America. The crown is not dense, the trunk is thin and flexible, sometimes up to 10 m high.
Heart-leaved can be found in Iran and Azerbaijan. This species does not tolerate winter. In the structure of the heart, there are no organs that limit the consumption of moisture. That is why the plant is found in wetlands.
Leaves are dense and slightly rounded. Only those forests where heart-leaved alder grows can be located in river valleys. 
This species is found in both temperate and subarctic climates. fast-growing with a dense crown. Easily adapts to any habitat. It is distinguished by its frost resistance, because it grows even in the Arctic.
Green alder is often called a transitional step between birch and alder. After all, this species also takes the life form of a tree (in the Far East). Stamen catkins are often paired.
The leaves are serrated, slightly rough, dark green in color. In the tundra, green alder can bloom even in July and August.
Areas of application of the plant
The variety of wilchis species, common throughout the Northern Hemisphere, allows their use in many areas. After all, the tree is grown quite quickly and even in the wild it aggressively occupies large territories.
Alder contains tannins. Due to the flexibility of the trunk, the wood is soft and easy to work with.
In folk medicine
The bark and leaves of the tree are endowed with astringents. Therefore, a moistened black alder leaf can be applied to the wound to heal faster. Also, the wound can be disinfected with vodka infusion from cones or earrings.
Infusions from the earrings of the plant also help with constipation. Using infusions from flowers plucked at the very beginning of flowering, you can get rid of diathesis in children. A decoction of the bark helps relieve stomach pain.
To do this, you need to brew 15 g of bark with one glass of boiling water. Then let cool and strain. Take 3-4 times a day for several days. 1 tablespoon will be enough at a time. 
But remember that alder treatment may not always help or will only alleviate the symptoms. Therefore, seek qualified medical attention.
In general, alder is not particularly decorative, it is a common deciduous tree, and even in autumn its leaves do not turn bright yellow, like other trees. They begin to blacken and fall off, as if struck by some incomprehensible disease. It is not for nothing that in ancient Greece, alder was considered a mournful tree. At the same time, Slavic magicians attributed to her the properties of a talisman that protects the garden and vegetable garden from hail, and people from damage.
Alder tree in the photo
Types of alder and their features
Currently, there are about 30 species of alder growing in the Northern Hemisphere. These are moisture-loving shrubs or trees growing near the water. Unfortunately, such a neighborhood does not benefit them - alder does not differ in durability, like oak or birch, on average it lives 50-60-70 years. However, it can be planted in waterlogged areas with stagnant water, for the design of natural or artificial reservoirs, in parks with a high groundwater table. Here the tree grows very quickly, and until late autumn retains the green color of its leaves, and evaporates up to 10 cubic meters of water per season.
Shrub alder reaches 3 meters in height, sometimes it can rise up to 5 meters. Its bark is gray, but the shoots are red or brown, the leaves are about 10 cm long, shiny, with jagged edges, oval, up to 10 cm long, dark green in color. Alder leaves and flowers appear at the same time.
Shrub alder grows quite quickly, it can be planted in shady or semi-shaded places. Unpretentious to soil, but loves moisture. It tolerates severe frosts well.
Alder gray - a tree or shrub up to 20 meters high, with a narrow crown. The bark is light gray, smooth, the shoots are pubescent, not sticky. The leaves are pointed, two-colored - gray below, and dark green above. Newly appeared, young leaves are pubescent, grayish.
It grows in wetlands, is undemanding to soil, and can thrive on loam. It is used to strengthen the banks of natural reservoirs. Life expectancy is about 60 years.
A decorative form of gray alder with bluish leaves grows in North America. This is a shrub, or a low, about 6 meters, tree. The leaves are glabrous, gray-blue, pubescent below.
In the forests of the North American continent, golden alder grows with yellowish leaves on red shoots.
In Russia, in the Far East, there is a woolly alder growing in the form of a shrub or tree up to 10 meters high.
Alder is sticky, black, grows in Russia, and in Western Europe, and even in North Africa. It is a slender tree up to 36 meters high, with a pyramidal crown and a brown trunk. Shoots are sticky, reddish, covered with light scales. Leaves up to 9 cm long, obovate, rounded, also sticky and shiny. In autumn they do not turn yellow, fall off green or slightly brown. Flowers on sticky alder appear before the leaves; after they fall off, egg-shaped cones up to 2 centimeters long remain on the tree, which serve as a decoration for the tree.
Sticky alder grows quickly, but not on any soil. There are several decorative forms of this type of alder, which differ in the color and shape of the leaves, as well as in the structure of the crown.
Agrotechnics
For planting, an alder seedling can be found in the forest, or purchased in a tree nursery. Planting a seedling is not much different from planting seedlings of fruit and other trees. You will need a hole, depth and width more than the size of the roots with a root lump of earth, in the water poured into it, 1 bucket per hole is enough. No special fertilizers are required, its roots are capable of independently producing nitrogen and enriching the soil. Actually, nitrogen is not produced by the roots, but by the tubers in which the bacteria are located - they pull nitrogen from the air into the soil. But nitrogen alone is not enough for a tree; 200 grams of slaked lime and 15 grams of Kemira-universal fertilizer are added to the hole.
The seedling installed in the hole is first sprinkled with soil removed from the upper, fertile layer, and then with a mixture of peat, sand and earth, and then watered again. Planting is best done in spring, as well as in autumn, without leaves. The stems of the seedling are cut to a height of 50-70 cm - before planting, or immediately after it, so it will not waste energy on the development of the aboveground part, and will begin to strengthen the root system.
When planting in spring, the seedling is often watered for the first time, of course, if it does not grow in a swampy area. With age, the tree gets stronger, the root system becomes more extended, and provides the tree with moisture without additional watering.
Loosening the soil at the roots can be called a mandatory measure, without it the soil will become too hard and dense, the roots will not be able to breathe fully.
Protection
Alder, like a tree growing in a humid environment, is often affected by fungal diseases. Earrings are especially affected, in which scales grow unnaturally strongly. Some fungi cause stains on the leaves - they shrivel and crumble.
Of the pests, alder is afraid of corrosive arboreal, which lays its larvae under the bark. As a result, the larvae spoil both young shoots and the bark itself.
To protect alder, it is treated with fungicides, poisons, or folk remedies. The affected branches are cut and burned.
Reproduction
Alder is propagated by root layers, as well as by seeds. It should be noted that in nature, alder spreads without any problems thanks to well-adapted seeds.
Alder is a monoecious plant, male catkins and female cones grow on the same branch. The flower earrings produce pollen, which is carried by insects and wind, and pollinates the buds.
The cones stay overwintering on the branches, and the next spring they open up, releasing small seeds. They are carried by the wind, or flood waters. It is not known where the seeds will stick to the shore, and where they have to catch and germinate, often this happens several kilometers from the parent tree.
In cultivation, alder cones are harvested in autumn for harvesting seeds, dried and waited for them to open. Then the seeds are selected by sifting all the material through a sieve with holes of no more than 4-5 mm.
Seeds are sown in containers, or in open ground, but sometimes they are stored until spring, kept in a room with a temperature of 1 to 5 degrees Celsius, and an air humidity of no more than 10-12%. In such conditions, the seeds will germinate within 1-2 years. With autumn sowing, seedlings appear in spring, with spring sowing - also in spring, but after a year.
Root cuttings for planting in a new place are dug out, cut to a height of 50-70 cm, and planted in a pre-prepared hole (how to do this is described above), over a season, shoots up to 1 meter high will grow from the cut stem.
Where is alder used?
By growing alder on your site, you can use it to make medicines. Traditional medicine uses the bark, cones and leaves of alder for the healing of purulent wounds, the treatment of eczema, dysentery, hemorrhoids, diathesis.
Alder firewood is suitable for smoking fish and meat, cooking kebabs and grilling - the wood does not spoil the taste of the food.
Alder wood is not particularly durable, but it has a uniform structure that does not change when dried. Therefore, it is used to make musical instruments, dishes, panels, figurines, and decorative furniture.
Alder boards are installed in wells, used for the manufacture of barrels, and various products that serve in conditions with high humidity.
Another advantage of wood is that dry alder wood burns well, giving off a lot of heat.
Alder (from Lat. "Alnus" - coastal) is attributed to the Birch family. North America is considered the birthplace of alder.
Alder belongs to highly decorative species, thanks to its shiny, green foliage, therefore it is widely used in landscaping.
Check out our article and you will learn how to grow an alder tree.
Plant appearance
It is a shrub (up to 15 meters) or a deciduous tree that grows up to 80 meters in height.
The leaves are oval-ovoid, tapering upward. A fruiting specimen can be found in St. Petersburg, in the park of the Forestry University, in Moscow and in Tallinn.
Bush alder
A squat, sometimes creeping shrub grows in the north and in the tundra. The branches are shortened, curved. In the south, this species can grow up to six meters in height.
The leaves are dark gray, forming a decorative crown, which allows the tree to be used in landscape design and gardening of park areas.
Manchurian alder
Reaches a height of 15 meters, the diameter of the trunk of an adult tree is 25 centimeters. Sometimes this species is a spreading shrub. The bark is dark gray, smooth. Leaves are elliptical with sharp tips.
Alder Maksimovich
A mature tree reaches a height of 10 meters. The bark is gray. Leaves are ovoid. Blooms in May-June. It grows in the Far East (Primorsky Territory, Sakhalin), in Northern Japan. Can be seen in St. Petersburg in the botanical garden.
Kamchatka alder
A tree or shrub, three meters high. The main stem is thick. Straight branches, forming a dense crown. The bark is gray. The leaves are ovoid, dark green in color and lighter on the back.
Blooms in May-June. The bark and leaves are used to dye the skin. In St. Petersburg, you can see a flowering and fruiting specimen in the Botanical Garden.
Carved alder
Height 12 meters, narrow crown. The leaves are large green, very decorative.
Alder heart-shaped
Height up to 15 meters. The leaves are rounded or ovoid, the shoots are brick-red.
Growing and caring
Tree in the plant system
The tree is unpretentious to the composition and structure of the soil and can be planted even on sandstone.
In horticulture and forestry, alder is famous for the fact that:
Seeds
Collection
Alder cones are harvested in late autumn and stored in the fresh air until they are fully opened.
Separation of seeds is carried out using a sieve.
Storage
The seeds are stored in a refrigerator or basement at a temperature not exceeding 5 degrees.
Seeding
Seeds can be sown both in autumn and spring. But their shelf life is short, only 4 months, after which the germination of seeds begins to fall.
The soil
If alder is planted at home, then an earthen mixture is prepared from the following components:
The seeds are sown in seedling boxes and moistened.
The tree grows quite quickly and during the season the seedlings, under favorable conditions, make an increase of several meters.
If the seeds are sown abundantly, then after a couple of years of planting they form an impenetrable jungle.
Watering
Rare artificial watering will still not be able to provide the tree with the necessary moisture and will slow down the development of the root system.
Although before the development of a meter in height, the seedling should be watered as often as normal seedlings.
Loosening
The trunk circle can be loosened, but then you will have to mulch the tree in winter.
To avoid this, you can plant lawn grass, green manures or flowers in the near-trunk circle and from time to time trim excess vegetation to ensure the protection of the roots and the formation of beneficial microorganisms in the soil.
Complete exposure of the trunk circle does not always have a positive effect on the health of the tree. Peat or wood chips are used for mulching.
Pests and diseases
Application of alder wood
Alder is considered a valuable tree species.
In black alder, the wood is well cut, but it is very fragile.
Growing trees have white wood, but when the tree is cut down, it begins to change: yellow or red.
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