Alder (Alnus) The following is a dump of information on the alder tree. Alders are in the Birch family and grow in most areas of the world. In this area the alder appears in open areas and acts as a pioneer tree. The roots fix nitrogen so the tree can survive on poor soil. Often alders are found in wet areas and people assume they like wet soil, actually it is the humidity they like and wet soil without oxygen can kill them. Some types of alder are grown as a hardwood and makes fine furniture. Alder is also used for firewood and for mulch. When placed near the ground it is colonized very quickly by fungi and makes an ideal medium for mushroom farms. Studies in coppicing found that Red Alder can be cut at 4-6 years and will regrow. After ten years it dies. Generally this is not done because cut alder is very susceptible to disease. The smaller fast growing alders are sometimes coppiced before four years and this looks more promising to me. Alder like many other trees have seed zones. The seeds do best if replanted at the same elevation and same conditions. The seeds are held in cones which is unusual for a broad leaf. For Red Alder (in North America) the cone harvest is usually from September to mid-October. If the cone can be twisted and the scales open then it is ready for harvest. For Red Alder the cones can be produced by 3 year old trees but more commonly the cones are not produced till the tree is 15 years old. Best germination is in sand where the seed still has some light. Just under the surface is best. They need a moist environment and sprout in the spring. They can be damaged by frost so some are grown in protected areas and set out from March 15 to April 15. For most small woodland owners growing alders is risky unless they are already found growing naturally. For gardeners and farmers the use of alders looks promising but little information is available. The leaves and roots are high in nitrogen and the tree grows fast for the first 20 years. Under ideal conditions the alder can be 6 or more feet their first year of growth. The decomposition of an alder by fungi begins almost immediately when it is cut. The cambium layer is eaten within a few days and in a few months the wood is discolored and colonized. Much research has been done on Alders to explore their economic worth. This is also true of most of the forest trees of North America and much of this data is available at: Http://eesc.orst.edu/AgComWebFile/EdMat/edmatindexfor.html Http://cahedb.wsu.edu/infoPub/scripts/webListing.asp?category=400 Some publications available are: Red Alder: Guidelines for seed collection, handling, and storage. Hibbs, D. E. and A.A. Ager. Red Alder: Guidelines for successful regeneration. Ahrens, G.R. A. Dobkowski, and D.E. Hibbs. Hardwoods of the Pacific Northwest. Niemiec, S.S. jeff
