This tree is a staple of the Seattle landscape, but extends its growing region from California to Alaska. Its bark is similar to that of a true birch tree, as it is a member of the Betulaceae, or Birch family. White, gray, and brown patches all mold together to form the outer layer of the alder’s trunk. The Red Alder is named for the red-orange hue its cambium, or layer beneath the outer bark, develops when scraped or damaged. This tree is most commonly found in humid forests, and as a result is usually sporting some degree of moss or lichen.
Image by Chris Light, Wiki Creative Commons
Foliage
The Red Alder grows pointed leaves with toothy edges in an alternating pattern along its branches. It is bilaterally symmetrical, meaning that, if folded in half, the leaf is a perfect mirror of itself. These leaves have the tendency to curl under themselves at the edges, and stay green until dropping off in the autumn. The Red Alder is deciduous, meaning it’s leaves fall off each year before the plant goes dormant for the winter.
Seeds or Cones
This tree bears small cones that grow in pairs and contain about a hundred seeds, which are distributed by the wind and other environmental factors. Each cone is about 1 inch in length and is freqeuntly enjoyed as a snack by a variety of native animals. The Pine Siskin, a small yellow-brown bird, particularly loves to eat the small seeds stashed within an alder cone.
All illustrations by A.S. Longman
Did you know?
This plant was regularly used by indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia to treat medical ailments such as headaches, stomach cramps, and nausea. The Sinixt people of British Columbia were well known for using the alder cones to create a rust orange dye.
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