ExploreTree

Red Alder

Alnus rubra

Red Alder is a special tree with red-brown bark and bright green leaves! It likes to grow near water.

Habitat: Riverbanks and forests

Appearance

The Red Alder is a medium-to-large tree with smooth, ash-gray bark when young, maturing to scaly. Its oval, finely serrated leaves are dark green above and paler, sometimes rusty below. Small, dark brown, cone-like fruits persist through winter, giving it a distinctive look.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderFagalesFamilyBetulaceaeGenusAlnus

Red Alder

Interesting facts

Its small, woody cones stay on the tree all winter, looking like tiny ornaments!

Native Americans used Red Alder bark to make beautiful reddish dyes for baskets and nets!

Red Alder is super important for salmon, shading streams and providing leaf nutrients!

When Red Alder wood is cut, it quickly changes color from white to reddish-orange!

Special abilities

Red Alder can partner with tiny soil bacteria to create its own fertilizer, helping it grow fast in poor soils.

Red Alder enriches the soil by adding nitrogen, which helps other plants thrive and makes the forest healthier.

Red Alder can quickly grow in disturbed areas like clearcuts or landslides, starting the recovery process for new forests.

Measurements & details

Height: 20-40 m
Canopy Spread: 8-15 m
Is Edible: No
Trunk Diameter: 30-80 cm
Lifespan: 60-100 years
Fruit Type: Cone-like strobile
Growth Rate: Fast
Leaf Type: Deciduous

Ecological connections

symbiotic with

Frankia bacteria

Frankia alni

fixes nitrogen in roots

shelters

Rainbow Trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

leaves and shade cool streams

eats

North American Beaver

Castor canadensis

eats bark and twigs

eats

Mule Deer

Odocoileus hemionus

browses on young twigs and leaves

shelters

Hairy Woodpecker

Picoides villosus

nests in cavities in trunks

Traits

Deciduous

Discover the magic of plants that shed all their leaves during a particular season, often putting on a spectacular show of fall colors first. They get ready for a fresh start!

Nitrogen Fixing

These amazing organisms are like nature's tiny fertilizer factories! They take nitrogen from the air and turn it into food for plants, enriching the soil for everyone.

Broadleaf Tree

Discover magnificent trees that have wide, flat leaves, unlike the needles of pine trees! These are often the trees that change colors beautifully in autumn.

Rapid Growing

Watch these energetic plants grow super fast, quickly transforming spaces and adding lush greenery in a blink of an eye!

Timber

Discover how people use wood from trees to build amazing things, from houses to furniture! It's an important natural resource that helps us every day.