Scientific Name:
Alnus hirsuta
Pronunciation:
AL-nus ROO-bra her-SOO-tuh
Common Name:
Manchurian alder
Family Name:
Betulaceae
Plant Type:
Tree - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate, ovate, most blades 7-12cm long x 4-8cm wide; coarsely double-serrate, pubescent, with heavy parallel major veins; monecious, catkins persistent. Winter ID: angular, gray pubescence when young; buds with with 2 or 3 scales.
Habit:
Stiffly upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
15 - 22m
Mature Spread:
7 - 10m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
B.C. west of Cascades, Central / west Asia, S.E. Asia / Japan / China
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 3: (-40 to -34 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun only if soil kept moist, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Humus rich, Well-drained
Water Use:
High
Landscape Uses:
Erosion control, Native planting, Tall background, Wetland - bogs, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Google. Images are of A. var. sibirica (Note: the leaf margins of these specimens at VanDusen Gardens are not typical of most). Compare to A. maximowiczii.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Heavily veined, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Lustrous
Colour in Fall:
Yellow, Brown
Shapes:
Lanceolate, Ovate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Attenuate, Obtuse
Margins:
Double serrate
Inflorescence Type:
Catkin (ament)
Flower Morphology:
Monoecious plant
Number Of Petals:
0
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, Yellow
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Mar, Apr
Fruit Type:
Samara
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Aug, Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Not showy, Persistent, Cone-like female catkin release many tiny samaras
Bark Morphology:
Smooth, Lightly fissured, Single stem trunk
Bark or Stem Colour:
Grey, Brown
Leaf Bud Type:
Ovoid, Stalked
Leaf Scar Shape:
Crescent shaped
Organ Modifications:
Ectomycorrhizae, Root nodules (N-fixing)
Propagation:
Seed, Greenwood cuttings, Hardwood cuttings
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant)
