249. Red Alder

Red Alder  (Alnus rubra )is a quickly growing tree of moist sites, often along water courses and particularly of disturbed soils.  Our few alders are on the side of our property that was an old road right of way and undoubtedly was established on the road edge shortly after the road was abandoned. 

Alders have two types of catkins (shown here).  The long pendulous catkins are pollen producing and the rounded dark brown ones, which look similar to the cones on a conifer are the seed bearing ones. 

Alder seed is borne profusely, and they have two small wings on either side of the flat seed- which help them disperse in the wind.  Alder seed is a favourite of Pine Siskins however, and flocks of Siskins l. They are useful trees from a bird point of view, often they have heavy cateripillar loads and that makes them a good foraging area for songbirds looking for food for nestlings. 

Rather embarrassingly, it was finding the Common Emerald (#142) that made us go look and see if we had Red Alders on the property this summer.