Botanical name:                    Alnus incana

Family:                                     Betulaceae

Common Name:                    Grey alder

Habitat and Distribution:

Native to Europe (excluding Britain and Ireland) and the Caucasus in swampy areas and stream banks. It seldom does well in Britain.

Description:

A small deciduous tree which can reach 20 metres (65 ft) but is typically here much smaller.

The Leaves grey green and glabrous (smooth) above, paler and pubescent on the veins beneath, are pointed, ovate to elliptic, 5-14 cm long, 3-7 cm wide, serrate and shallowly lobed.

Catkins in terminal clusters of 3 or more open in late February; male catkins, 5-10 cm long, female catkins much smaller, developing into green fruits (1 cm) which over the course of winter become conelike

The twigs are reddish-brown, pruinose, mostly with conspicuous, light-coloured lenticels.

The bark is dark grey covered with pores and a few long cracks

Timber:

The wood is a dull, light reddish brown with darker ray markings and has a course texture.

Uses:

It is used for country chairs, turning and carving.

An American subspecies was used extensively by the Native Americans. The bark and wood were used for yellow or red dye, the wood for making bows and snowshoes, burnt ashes were used to clean the teeth and a decoction of bark was used as an antiseptic wash for sores.

Location within the arboretum:

Three specimens of the weeping form Alnus incana ‘Pendula’ can be found on the east side of the lake running in a line from close to the waters edge towards the Main Drive.

Furniture Makers Trees at The Arboretum - Kew at Castle Howard

End of January, tree smothered in catkins

Detail of male catkins in January

Tree, late autumn

Bark

Fruit

Planks of Alder showing grain

Rustic chair of Alder sticks and boards

Heavy American dining suite made of Alder rugosa (sometimes regarded as a subspecies of A.incana)

Details of female catkins - early March, each one is less than 0.7 cm (0.3 in.) long