Deciduous tree with small cones. What alder looks like: general characteristics, types, photos

Their height under favorable conditions can reach 35-40 m, the maximum diameter of the trunk can reach 50-60 cm. The crown is well developed, dense, highly decorative, ovoid, narrow pyramidal, cylindrical or other shape. The bark is smooth, sometimes fissured, from light to dark brown.

Shoots are cylindrical, of different colors, glabrous or pubescent, with an irregularly triangular greenish-gray core, rounded or almost rounded light lenticels. The alder genus is variable in hairiness and glandularity, and the difference can be both between species and within a species. Kidneys sessile or pedunculated, with two scales, resinous or pubescent. Leaves only on growth shoots, alternate, petiolate, simple, entire, occasionally slightly lobed, usually serrated or lobed-toothed along the edge, with early falling stipules. The shape of the leaf is different - from almost round, ovate, obovate to lanceolate. The venation is pinnate.

Male and female flowers are monoecious, developing on the same shoot. Alder usually blooms before the leaves bloom or at the same time, this facilitates pollination, as the alder is pollinated by the wind. When growing outside plantations, alder begins to bear fruit from 8-10 years, in plantations - from 30-40 years. Fruiting is almost annual, but fruitful happens every 3-4 years.

Alder propagates by seeds, all species give numerous stump shoots, and some give root offspring. Ability to vegetative propagation varies from species to species and between members of the same species. The fruits are one-seeded, flattened, small nuts with two lignified stigmas, bordered by a narrow leathery or membranous wing, located in small woody cones, into which female inflorescences turn. Seeds are dispersed by wind and water, beginning in autumn and may continue until spring. After the departure of the seeds, the cones for a long time stay on the tree.

Representatives of the alder genus are predominantly moisture-loving plants; they grow along the banks of rivers, streams, lakes, in grassy swamps, at the foot of hills, often confined to rich, well-drained soils. Black alder and gray alder are soil-improving species, as nodules with nitrogen-fixing organisms are located on their roots. The leaves of these alder species are high-ash, contain a large amount of nitrogen, alder leaf litter increases soil fertility, making it more loose. The root system is superficial, but powerful, as it is well developed, especially in the upper layers of the soil. Many species of alder are pioneers; they are the first to populate conflagrations, clearings, mountain outcrops, abandoned pastures, and then are replaced by other tree species.

The habitat of alder covers the cold and temperate climate zones of the Northern Hemisphere, the range of some species reaches South America along the Andes to Chile, and in Asia to the mountains of Bengal and the mountains of North Vietnam. In the northern part of the range, alder is an admixture of coniferous forest stands; in the north of the range, some species reach the tundra; in the mountains, they reach the subalpine belt. In the southern part of the range, alder is part of the beech and hornbeam forests.

Alder solid (Alnusfirma) - a tree or shrub up to 3 m in height with flexible branches. Shoots grayish-brown or yellowish-brown, pubescent. The kidneys are sessile. Leaves ovate-oblong or ovate-lanceolate, with 12-18 pairs of veins, 5-12 cm long, 2.5-5 cm wide, pointed at the apex, with a rounded or unequal base, pubescent along the veins below; petioles pubescent, 0.4-1.3 cm long. Staminate catkins solitary or paired, 5-7 cm long, bloom in March-April. Cones also solitary or paired, 2 cm long, on pubescent legs up to 2-5 cm long. It has several decorative forms. Natural range: Japan. In St. Petersburg, it is not winter hardy enough; it should be tested in areas south and west of Moscow.

Alder hanging (Alnuspendula) - a tree up to 8 m in height or a shrub with a weeping crown. Young shoots are pubescent, becoming smooth, brick-brown with age. Buds sessile, leaves oblong-lanceolate, 5-12 cm long, with 18-26 pairs of veins, pointed, pubescent along the veins below. Cones 8-15 mm long, collected 2-5 in hanging racemes 3-6 cm long. Natural range: Japan. Introduced to the USA in 1862.

Alder bush (Alnusfruticosa) in the northern parts of the range, especially in the tundra, a squat and even creeping shrub with shortened and twisted branches; in the southern parts of the range in Siberia and on Far East- a tree reaching a height of 6 m. A beautiful decorative large-leaved shrub that can be used in landscaping as a shrub that retains green leaves for a long time in autumn. The bark is dark gray, young shoots are reddish-brown with yellowish lenticels. Leaves are broadly ovate, evenly tapering upwards, sharp, with a round or unequal base, 5-10 cm long, 3-7 cm wide, with 8-10 pairs of veins, dark green above, glossy or matte, glabrous, paler below , in the lower part along the veins with reddish hairs. Staminate catkins 3.5-6 cm long, bloom simultaneously with the deployment of leaves. Cones are oval, 1.2-2.0 cm long, collected in racemes with 1-3 leaves at the base. Blooms from late April to June, in the tundra even in July. Range: northern regions of the European part of Russia. It grows in the north on riverine sands, along forest edges, in deciduous forests. AT southern regions habitat - in mountain valleys, on pebbles, on gravelly slopes and stony screes, it reaches the size of a tree of medium height there.

A close view is green alder (Alnusviridis), common in the mountains of Western Europe. This tree is up to 20 m high. The bark is smooth, ash-gray, the young branches are brown and grayish-green, the shoots are brick-brown with light lenticels. The leaves are oval-ovate, evenly tapering upwards, sharp, with a rounded base. Known in culture in St. Petersburg, in the park of the Forestry Technical University, where it bears fruit, as well as in Moscow, Tallinn and Tartu.

Alder Manchurian (Alnusmanshurica) - a tree reaching a height of 15 m, with a trunk up to 25 cm in diameter, less often a tall sprawling shrub. The bark is smooth, dark gray. Buds sessile, leaves 7-8 cm long, 2.5-8 cm wide, broadly elliptical with a short obtuse cusp, glabrous, lateral veins 7-9 pairs. Staminate catkins bloom at the same time as the leaves. Blooms in May. Natural range: Far East (Primorsky Territory), China (Manchuria), Korea. It grows along the banks of rivers on sandy or rocky soil.

Olkha Maksimovich (AlnusMaximowiczii) - tree up to 10 m in height. The bark on the trunk is gray with rounded lenticels, the shoots are light brown with numerous lentils. Buds sessile, leaves broadly or rounded ovate, 7-10 cm long and 7-8 cm wide, with a wide heart-shaped base, lateral veins 7-10 pairs; petioles 1-3 cm long. Cones 1.5-2 cm long, on legs. Blooms in May-June. Range: Far East (Primorsky Territory, Sakhalin), Northern Japan. It grows along the banks of streams and rivers. In St. Petersburg, it is quite winter-hardy.

Alder Kamchatka (Alnuskamtschatica) - a tree or shrub, 1-3 m in height, with a thick main trunk, pressed to the soil, with ascending, straight branches, forming a dense crown. In culture, it usually grows in a wide bush, without forming the main trunk. The bark is dark gray with lighter, larger lenticels. Buds sessile, highly resinous, pointed, 0.5 cm long. Leaves are ovate, dark green above and lighter below, short-pointed, rounded at the base, 5-10 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, with 8-9 pairs of veins; petioles 1-2 cm long. Blossoms before the appearance of leaves, at home in May-June, in St. Petersburg - in May. Cones are oval, dark brown, 12 mm long, collected in brushes of 3-5 pieces. The fruits ripen in autumn and fall off in winter and spring. Natural range: North Eastern Siberia, Far East (Kamchatka, Okhotsk coast, Northern Sakhalin). It grows on mountain slopes and stony placers, in the undergrowth of birch forests, in river valleys, in the mountains it forms an alder belt, at the upper border of the forest it becomes a squat shrub with small foliage. The bark and leaves are used to make a dye that colors the skin. In St. Petersburg, it grows well in the park of the Botanical Garden, blooms and bears fruit. Due to its decorative crown and unpretentiousness, it can be widely used in landscaping the northern regions of the forest zone.

Alder cut (Alnussinuata) - a tree up to 12 m high, with a narrow crown and almost horizontal branches, or a shrub. Decorative due to large green foliage. It grows quite satisfactorily on cold and swampy soils. Shoots in youth with pubescence, buds sessile, leaves ovate, 6-12 cm long, pointed, with a rounded or broadly wedge-shaped base, sharp-toothed, light green above and paler below, with 5-10 pairs of veins, glabrous or pubescent along midrib, sticky when young; petiole with groove, 1.5-2 cm long. Flowers bloom at the same time as the leaves or later. Cones about 1.5 cm long, 3-6 in racemes on thin legs, up to 2 cm long. Natural range: North America from Alaska to Oregon. Pretty stable in St. Petersburg.

Alder heart-shaped (Alnuscordata) - a tree reaching a height of 15 m, young shoots are sticky, later brick-brown, bare. Stabbed buds, leaves almost round or broadly ovate, 5-10 cm long, with a deeply heart-shaped base, shortly pointed or rounded at the apex, dark green and shiny above, lighter below, pubescent along the veins when young, petioles 2-3 cm in length. Anther catkins collected 3-6 in a brush, each 2-3 cm long. Cones erect, ovoid, 1.5-2.5 cm in length. Range: Italy and Corsica. Decorative rounded crown and glossy leaves, similar to pear leaves. Grows near water bodies. Introduced into culture in England in 1840.

Alder heart-leaved (Alnussubcordata) - a tree 15-20 m high or a shrub. Shoots pubescent, reddish-brown, with light lenticels. Kidneys on legs, pubescent, ovoid, obtuse. Leaves are round to oblong-ovate, 5-16 cm long, 4-11 cm wide, pointed at the apex, with a heart-shaped or rounded base, slightly sticky, finely serrated, glabrous above, dark green, pubescent along the veins below and with barbules of hairs in the corners of the veins; lateral veins 10-12 pairs. Staminate catkins collected 3-5 in terminal racemes. Cones axillary, single or paired, oval-elliptical, 2.5 cm long and 1.3 cm wide. Natural range: Caucasus, Iran. In broad-leaved forests of the lower zone, in the mountains along the banks of streams up to an altitude of 1000 m above sea level. The wood is reddish-brown, veined, dense, resistant to water, easy to cut.

In St. Petersburg, it is not winter hardy enough. It was introduced into culture in England in 1838, in the USA in 1860.

Seaside alder (Alnusmaritime) - a tree or shrub up to 10 m high. Shoots are initially pubescent, faded orange or red-brown. Kidneys on legs, pointed, pubescent. The leaves are elliptical or obovate, pointed or shortly pointed, 6-10 cm long, 3-6.5 cm wide, shiny deep green above, light green and glabrous below, petioles slightly pubescent. Cones collected in 2-4, about 2 cm long, on short legs. Blooms in autumn. Looks impressive in autumn thanks to dark green foliage and yellow dangling earrings. Range: North America. In St. Petersburg, it is not winter hardy enough. In England, introduced into culture in 1878. close view - alder shiny (Alnusnitida) , also blooming in autumn. A tree reaching a height of up to 30 m. Area: Himalayas.

Japanese alder (Alnusjaponica) - tree up to 25 m in height. It has a decorative ovoid crown and dense dark green foliage that lasts a long time in autumn. Young shoots glabrous or slightly pubescent; light olive or brick brown with lenticels. The buds on the legs are bare red-brown, resinous. Leaves narrowly elliptical or oblong-lanceolate, 6-12 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, gradually pointed towards the apex, with a wedge-shaped base, slightly pubescent when young, dark green shiny above, lighter below, petioles pubescent or glabrous, 2 -3.5 cm long. Cones are oval or oval-oblong, 1.2-2 cm long and 1-1.5 cm wide. Staminate catkins bloom in early spring and are collected in brushes of 4-8 pieces. Range: Far East (Primorsky Territory), China and Japan. Gives strong and dense wood. In St. Petersburg, it is not winter hardy enough, suitable for areas south and west of Moscow. Introduced in England in 1880, in the USA - in 1886.

Alder black, or sticky (Alnusglutinosa) - a tree reaching a height of 35 m, in youth with an ovoid, and then with a cylindrical crown. It grows quickly, lives up to 100 and even 300 years. Young branches are smooth, often sticky, brick-brown with whitish lenticels. The bark of the trunk is dark brown, becoming cracked with age. Kidneys obovate, 0.5-0.8 cm long, sticky, pedunculated. Leaves obovate or rounded, young - sticky, glossy, glabrous or hairy, adults - dark green, slightly shiny, with red beards at the vein angles below, 4-9 cm long, 3-7 cm wide, petioles 1-2 cm long . Leaves may not change color in autumn and fall off green. Staminate catkins collected in a brush of 3-6, drooping, 4-7 cm in length. Pistillate catkins are located below the stamens in the axils of the leaves, 3-5, on legs, which are usually longer than them. Blooms in late March - early April. Cones broadly ovate, 12-20 mm long and 10 mm wide, borne 3-5 on a long stalk. The fruits ripen by November, spill out by spring, spread by water and wind. Seed year occurs every 3-4 years. They begin to bear fruit from the age of 10 with free growth, at the age of 40 - in plantations. The germination of freshly harvested seeds is 40-70%, gradually decreases, but lasts 2-3 years. Gives abundant stump growth up to 80-90 years.

The wood is sapwood, almost white in a freshly felled tree, quickly acquires a light red tint in the air. Annual layers are clearly visible on all sections. Alder wood is used in carpentry, furniture and turning industries, in the manufacture of plywood, piles, well log cabins, supports for mines are made from it. The bark contains up to 16% tannins, gives black, red and yellow paints. The leaves have medicinal value. Natural range: Western Siberia, Crimea, Caucasus, Western Europe, Asia Minor, North Africa. Frost-resistant, medium shade-tolerant.

Forms forests on excessively moist fertile soils along streams and rivers over large areas. AT best conditions The existence of an alder stand here in 20 years reaches almost 15 m in height and 11.5 cm in diameter.

In landscaping, black alder is widely used within its range on soils with a high level of groundwater, especially near ponds, lakes, rivers and streams. Garden forms that are vegetatively propagated are used in single plantings. On fertile soils, black alder forms a deep root system. It grows well on fertile soils with strong flowing moisture, as well as on sandy soils with deep groundwater. It does not grow on poor and dry soils.

Alder bearded (Alnusbarbata) - a tree reaching a height of up to 35 m, with an ovoid crown and a trunk up to 60 cm in diameter, covered with dark gray-brown bark. Shoots are fluffy, brown with light lenticels, buds on short legs, obovate, dark brown. The leaves are ovate or obovate with a pointed apex, 6-13 cm long, 4-9 cm wide, young leaves are fluffy on both sides, then glossy and dark green above, light green pubescent below with red beards of hairs in the corners of the veins, petioles hairy when young, 1.5-2 cm long. They bloom at the same time as the leaves bloom, anther catkins are collected 3-4 in the upper part of the shoot. Cones are oblong, 1.5-2 cm long, 0.6-0.8 cm wide, collected in racemes of 3-5 on long legs. Habitat: Caucasus (cid-Caucasus, Western and Eastern Transcaucasia), Asia Minor. In the lowlands on swampy and alluvial soils, it forms forests, rises to the mountains along rivers up to an altitude of 2000 m above sea level, in the lower part of the mountains it often grows as part of beech, chestnut and hornbeam forests. This is the most common type of alder in the Caucasus. Its wood is similar in physical and mechanical properties to black alder wood and finds wide application in the economy. The bark contains up to 16.5% tannins, gives black, red and yellow paints. Isabella vines are often planted using live alder as a support.

Alder gray or white (Alnusincana) - a tree up to 23 m in height, with a narrow ovoid crown and a trunk up to 50 cm in diameter. Lives up to 50-60 years. The bark is smooth, light gray. The leaves are ovate or oval-elliptical, 4-10 cm long, 3.5-7 cm wide, with a round or slightly heart-shaped base, young leaves are pubescent, adult leaves are almost bare above, gray-green pubescent below, densely pubescent along the veins , with 9-13 pairs of veins; petioles 1-2 cm long, soft felt. Blossoms before leafing out, 2-3 weeks earlier than black alder. Staminate catkins are located together in 3-5 pieces, sessile or on short legs. Cones of 8-10 pieces, elliptical, black-brown, about 1.5 cm long and 7-8 cm wide. Seed trees begin to bear fruit from 8-10 years old, coppice trees from 5-7 years old. Gives abundant root offspring and shoots from the stump. Fruiting annual, plentiful.

The wood differs from black alder wood in a more reddish hue, in terms of physical and mechanical properties it is inferior to black alder wood. Used in the same way as black alder wood. In the best growing conditions gray alder gives at the age of 40 years up to 250 m 3 of wood from 1 hectare. The bark contains a small amount of tannins, gives the paint. Forms a superficial root system, located mainly in the upper soil layer. Area: European part Russia, Western Siberia, Caucasus, Western Europe, North America. In the Caucasus, it rises to a height of 2000 m above sea level. It occurs in floodplains along with willows and black alders.

It forms shrub thickets, usually on cutting areas, conflagrations and abandoned arable lands. It is not as demanding on soils as black alder, but rarely grows on poor dry sandy soils; better than black alder, grows on waterlogged soils. More photophilous and frost-resistant than black alder. Winter-hardy, relatively shade-tolerant. It is short-lived, as it is quickly replaced by other species, especially spruce. Improves the soil by forming soft humus from high-ash and nitrogen-containing foliage, enriches the soil with nitrogen.

wrinkled alder (Alnusrugosa) - tree up to 8 m tall. Sometimes this species is considered not as an independent, but as a variety of gray alder. Kidneys are naked, pubescent, on legs. Leaves elliptic or obovate, 5-10 cm long, glabrous or pubescent below along the veins, rarely completely pubescent. Cones of 4-10 pieces are collected in a brush, the upper ones are sessile, the lower ones are on short legs, ovoid, 1-1.5 cm in length. Natural range: North America. In St. Petersburg, it is quite stable.

Alder (Alnuskolaensis)- a small tree up to 8 m high with twisted knotty shoots. This species is sometimes regarded as a variety of gray alder. The bark on the trunk and old branches is yellowish, shiny, the leaves are on pubescent, reddish petioles, elliptical and oval-elliptical, obtuse at the top, serrate along the edge, dark green below, glabrous or sparsely pubescent along the veins. grows on Kola Peninsula, found in river valleys, lake shores.

Alder fluffy (Alnushirsuta)- shrub or small tree, reaching 20 m in height and 50-60 cm in diameter, with rounded blunt blunt leaves, 4-7 cm long and 3-5.5 cm wide, rich green above, glossy, glaucous below, glabrous or along veins hairy, lateral veins 7-8 pairs. The bark is smooth, brick-brown. Shoots are gray with felt pubescence, become bare with age. It is distinguished by a significant difference in leaves in size, shape and color, even within the same tree. The wood properties are similar to black alder wood. Natural range: Western and Eastern Siberia, Primorye, Amur Region, Korea, China, Northern Japan. One of the most frost-resistant types of alder. It occurs along the edges and in the undergrowth of coniferous forests. It grows in floodplains of streams and rivers, in grassy swamps and near springs. In the conditions of St. Petersburg it turned out to be stable.

Alder red (Alnusrubra) - beautiful, decorative tree with large leaves, reaching 20 m in height. The bark is light gray, almost without cracks. Shoots are brick-red, young shoots are pubescent. Kidneys on legs, red. Leaves ovate, 7-12 cm long, pointed, glossy above, grayish-green, glabrous below or with short rusty pubescence, with 12-15 pairs of veins, petioles and veins reddish or yellowish. Cones 6-8, ovoid, 1.5-2.5 cm long, on short reddish legs or sessile. Distribution: North America - from Alaska to California. Introduced into culture since 1884.

Alder alder (Alnuscremastogyne) - tree up to 40 m tall. Young pubescent shoots are brick-brown, with time the pubescence disappears. Kidneys on legs. Leaves narrowly obovate or elliptical, pointed at apex, 6-14 cm long, smooth dark green above, light green below, veins 9-12 pairs. Staminate and pistillate catkins are solitary in the axils of young leaves. Cones 1.5-2 cm long, on thin legs. Natural range: Western China. In St. Petersburg, it is not winter hardy enough. Introduced in England in 1907.

Wood

Alder wood is homogeneous in structure, growth rings and narrow core rays are hardly distinguishable on an untreated surface, but after processing and coating with transparent varnishes and stains, they become more visible to the naked eye, form a beautiful, interesting and highly decorative pattern, especially on tangential cuts. Annual rings are not always distinguishable, since late wood, although slightly darker than early wood, can be difficult to notice this difference. Rare false-wide medullary rays are clearly visible on all sections. The boundaries of the annual layers are slightly bent when they are crossed by a falsely wide core ray. The pores on the cells of the medullary rays are very small. Sometimes alder has a false core - a darker, dark brown or brick-brown color, the inner zone of wood. The most common defect in alder is the presence of brown or reddish-brown core rot, which significantly reduces the quality of the resulting wood.

Alder is a scattered vascular non-nuclear breed. Its wood is white when freshly cut, but in the air it quickly acquires a color from orange-red to brick-brown. Alder wood is of low density, soft, light, dries out a little, almost does not crack during shrinkage, and is not resistant to decay. Easily processed with cutting and polishing tools, the surface is clean, smooth, slightly velvety. In water, alder wood exhibits high resistance, is moderately impregnated, stained and pickled.

The full swelling of alder wood practically does not correlate with the density of absolutely dry wood and the basic density of wood, but there is a tendency to increase swelling with increasing density. In black alder, the dependence of tensile strength on density at a moisture content of 10.32% is strongly pronounced, and in gray alder, tensile strength weakly correlates with density at the time of testing. The tensile strength and impact strength of alder wood weakly correlate with density.

Vascular porosity is punctate. Fibrous tracheids are thin-walled, angular or rounded in cross-section, of different diameters, randomly distributed and connected in turns. Libriform fibers are typical, thick-walled, slightly compressed in the radial direction. In late wood, the libriform fibers are somewhat more compacted than in early wood. In addition to typical libriform fibers, living fibers are occasionally found, the walls of such libriform fibers are slightly thinner, the content of cells is alive - this is a supply of nutrients.

Usage

Table 2. Physical and mechanical properties of alder wood

Table 3. Average indicators of the main physical and mechanical
properties of alder wood (numerator - at a moisture content of 12%,
denominator - at humidity of 30% and above)

Table 4. Indicators of mechanical properties of alder wood,
related to 1 kg/m

Table 5. Approximate indicators of physical and mechanical
properties of alder bark

The most economically valuable species is black alder, since its range is larger than the ranges of other species of this genus. Gray alder, whose range is also wide, due to its biological qualities, rarely reaches sufficient size and often has a crooked trunk, which leads to an insufficient yield of high-quality wood. It can grow as a straight tree with a voluminous trunk only under optimal conditions.

Alder wood is soft, light, cuts well, has good dimensional stability, and therefore is widely used for the manufacture of a variety of furniture, toys, turnery and small crafts. Alder wood is used to make veneer, plywood, chipboard, often in combination with other woods such as pine, spruce and beech; boxes and pallets are made from alder. Since alder wood is characterized by high resistance to moisture, it is used where interaction with water is unavoidable: in bridge building, housing construction, - it was previously used in the manufacture of piles and water pipes. Alder is often used as a fuel. Receive from an alder and charcoal which is used for drawing.

Alder wood is well impregnated with stains, therefore it is often used to imitate valuable breeds wood (cherries, mahogany, ebony) and restoration of furniture, parts of interior decoration and other valuable items made of wood.

When making decks of various strings musical instruments the main material is resonant spruce wood, the stocks of which are limited. Therefore, the soundboards of musical instruments are often made of other materials, such as three-layer birch plywood, which drastically reduces the acoustic properties of such instruments. An analysis of the resonant and acoustic properties of wood of domestic species showed that black alder is the most suitable replacement for resonant spruce. Black alder has significantly fewer knots than resonant spruce, which increases wood yield. Black alder wood is characterized by physical, mechanical and acoustic properties close to those of resonant spruce wood and significantly superior to those of three-layer birch plywood. It should be noted that the cost of soundboards from black alder wood is almost equal to the cost of producing soundboards from birch plywood and is much lower than the cost of soundboards from resonant spruce. This points to the prospect of using black alder wood in music production.

in the official and traditional medicine infusions, decoctions and extracts of the bark, leaves and cones of alder are used as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hemostatic, wound healing, immunomodulatory drugs. Alder bark is used in tanning and dyeing leather. Black, yellow and red dyes are also obtained from the bark.

Alder is a highly ornamental species with glossy, rich green foliage that improves the soil, which is why various types of alder are widely used in landscaping.

It is necessary to take into account such a defect of alder as heart rot, which affects most of the trees by the age of 60, and not to allow overstaying of alder forests.

Due to the structural features and physical and mechanical properties of wood and biological features alder is a promising species for forest growing and timber use.

Elena Karpova
Anton Kuznetsov,
cand. biologist. Sciences, Assoc. cafe general ecology,
plant physiology
and Wood Science, St. Petersburg State Forest Technical University

Every year, many plants rush to announce the onset of spring. Alder can also give a good hint to summer residents. A photo of this tree allows everyone to understand how beautiful it can look at this time of the year. Alder is decorated with smooth bark, and its rounded leaves retain their green color until the first frost.

Alder tree: description

This tree has very lush crown, however, it is still somewhat sparse due to the fact that the branches are unevenly spaced. When the snow has not melted everywhere yet, the alder is already signaling the onset of spring, which is manifested in its active flowering. Therefore, it is enough to know when the alder blossoms in order to understand that winter begins to lose its strength.

Moreover, winds help her to get ahead of many other plants by entering the flowering phase, thanks to which her pollination occurs.

When the alder begins to bloom, it is decorated with beautiful earrings, which are divided into women's and men's. If during the formation they look habitually green, then at the ripening stage they become red-brown.

Women's earrings quite small and reach a length of about 1 cm, hang on branches in groups of up to 8 pieces, a sign of their ripeness is the acquisition of a woody shell. Men's earrings in this regard have their own differences: they grow on branches of 4-5 pieces, they differ quite a bit. large sizes, having a length of 5-9 cm. The appearance of leaves occurs only after the end of flowering of the alder.

The fruits are small green cones. Moreover, the latter also differ from each other: some grow wingless, others are membranous or leathery. Throughout the winter, the cones are in a closed state, but already with the onset of March they open, as a result of which the seeds fall into the soil. They reach the ripening stage only at the end of autumn. Alder leaves are a very useful fertilizer, because they contain a lot of nitrogen.

Alder as part of the natural complex

On average these trees grow for about 100 years. Although there are also centenarians who can please with their appearance for 150 years. Their favorite places to grow are areas with moist soil. Therefore, alder can often be found on the banks of various reservoirs.

With a combination of favorable factors, thickets - alder forests - can form. AT northern regions alder grows in the form of a coniferous tree. In the south, it has an extremely small representation, which is why it is included in mixed forests along with oak and beech. Also, this tree feels great with other representatives of forests - birch, spruce, oak, linden and aspen.

Alder can be used not only for decorative purposes, but also interesting as a honey plant. During its development, it forms buds and leaves rich in resinous substances, which are used by bees as a raw material for the production of propolis.

You can also find use for dry alder leaves, because they can be used as livestock feed.

Black alder: deciduous tree

Although this tree includes many species, the most common among them is the black alder, which is so named because of the corresponding color of its bark. This tree is mentioned in Greek mythology, where she often appears at fire festivals, symbolizing the onset of spring. Alder is a photophilous plant It is also very responsive to moisture. If it is planted in damp places, then later alder swamps can form there. However, standing water is detrimental to her.

During the year, black alder quickly gains height. Mature plants can grow up to 20 m. It pleases with its flowers earlier than other trees, since they appear already in April. The situation is somewhat different with fruits that reach maturity only at the end of next spring.

Unlike other types of black alder requires special care. This variety is under protection in many countries - Moldova, Kazakhstan and certain regions of Russia. Often black alder is used to create landscape design parks and squares. It can also be used for planting along water bodies, with the aim of strengthening the banks. It copes with this task perfectly, because it has a widely branched root system.

Beauty with brown earrings

Gray alder is one of the fairly common species of the birch family. It stands out for its large size, since it can grow up to 16 m. For its planting, the banks of reservoirs and ravines are chosen, which are threatened by destruction. To obtain planting material, you can use young shoots, cuttings or seeds.

The trunk of this tree has a characteristic grey colour , leaves also look, brown earrings act as a decorative part. Therefore, when you see a tree that has these signs, know that you have an alder in front of you. Many appreciate this plant because of its ability to withstand severe frosts and grow well in nutrient-poor soils and wetlands.

Scope of application

Alder is valued not only because of its attractive appearance, as it has a lot of other useful properties.

In the decorative arts

Alder grown from young seedlings growing pretty fast, often this leads to the appearance of wild thickets. At this stage life cycle it has a uniform wood structure, which is easy to process. Because of this, it is often used in industry.

Alder is one of the most popular materials for creating artistic carvings. It is used in the manufacture of carved dishes, decorative panels and sculptures. As a result of the processing of wood by dry distillation, coals can be obtained, which are highly valued by artists. Of particular importance in a decorative sense are specimens whose trunks are decorated with influxes.

In folk medicine

This tree is also valued as a remedy for the treatment of many diseases. Useful properties have cones, leaves and bark of alder, rich in tannins. Effective medicines are decoctions and tinctures based on alder cones and bark, since they have an astringent, anti-inflammatory, disinfectant, antibacterial and hemostatic effect.

• if there is a purulent wound, then it is enough to attach a leaf of a black alder tree to it, and very soon it will heal;
• vodka infusion of earrings can help people who suffer from hemorrhoids and constipation;
• to combat diathesis and eczema, a decoction of flowers is used, which must be prepared at the very beginning of flowering.

You can restore the natural intestinal microflora after a course of antibiotics with a decoction of alder cones. It also helps in the treatment of diseases. gastrointestinal tract. It is often used in such conditions., how:

• inflammation of the nasopharynx and throat;
• cold;
• angina;
• pharyngitis.

In order to stop bleeding from the nose, it is useful to keep swabs made from fresh alder leaves in it. Traditional healers recommend taking a decoction to combat gout, arthritis and joint pain.

The effective means are dry baths, which are prepared on the basis of freshly picked leaves.

• they should be heated in the sun or in an oven, and then they are laid on the bed and let the patient lie down on them. You can also cover the affected areas of the body with heated alder leaves, and wrap a warm blanket on top. In this case, the effect will be maximum if such a procedure lasts at least an hour;
• this remedy works even better if the leaves are heated in a deep tub, in which the patient must then be placed up to the neck. According to the same scheme, they fight ailments using birch leaves.

When visiting a bath, it is very useful to use alder brooms, which have a cleansing, disinfecting, tonic effect, and are also able to fill the body with energy.

In production

The ease of processing alder wood has led to the fact that it often used in industry. Various operations can be carried out on it, including polishing, varnishing and staining. Also, this tree retains a holistic structure when screws are screwed into it. Changes can be observed when driving nails, which is manifested in the flaking of wood.

Drying alder does not affect its properties in any way: it takes a minimum of time, and during this operation there are no defects in the form of warping or cracks. This feature has made alder one of the most preferred materials for the manufacture of musical instruments and accessories for them.

Collection and preparation of cones

A favorable moment for harvesting cones comes at the end of autumn. And you can continue to collect them until March. The process of collecting cones itself has its own characteristics: first you need to carefully cut the ends of the branches with cones with secateurs, and then fruits are plucked from them. Cones that lie on the ground do not have the necessary properties, so they cannot be used. After harvesting, the cones are laid out in an even layer under a canopy or in the attic, where air must be provided, where the drying procedure is carried out. If it is warm enough outside, then you can dry the fruits in the open air, not forgetting to stir them from time to time. With proper drying, the cones retain their beneficial properties for three years.

Conclusion

Few of us are familiar with a tree like alder, and in vain. After all, she is one of the first to signal the onset of spring, starting early flowering even at the moment when all the snow has not yet melted. At this stage of its development, the tree forms beautiful earrings, which give it even more decorative properties. However, alder looks most attractive when it has cones.

Although in this case you will have to be patient, since they are formed only next spring. But alder is of interest not only because of its decorative properties, because it is often used to make effective drugs for the treatment of diseases. Wood is used in industry, because it easily tolerates various types of processing, without being covered by any serious defects.

The real harbinger of the onset of spring, which at first glance seems to be the most ordinary tree, is alder. Photos of the tree convey all the beauty of such a beauty. Its slender trunk is covered with smooth bark, rounded leaves do not change their color during the season and remain green until the onset of frost.

Alder tree: description

A photo of a representative of the forest shows the richness of her crown, although the latter seems sparse due to the uneven, loose arrangement of the branches. The flowering process begins in early spring when there is still snow everywhere; winds act as a pollinator.

What does an alder look like? The tree blooms with catkins, divided into female and male, which in the process of maturation (September-October) acquire a red-brown color. The female ones are about 1 cm long, arranged in groups of up to 8 pieces, and during the ripening period they become woody like cones.

Alder as part of the natural complex

100 years is the average age, and 150 years is the maximum age of such a natural specimen as an alder tree. Where grows such an inconspicuous, but very useful tree? Alder prefers moist soils (these are the banks of streams, rivers and various reservoirs) and often forms thickets, the so-called alder forests: in pure form or mixed. In the north, it is believed that alder - conifer tree, in the southern regions it forms together with oak and beech mixed forests. The plant perfectly coexists with birch, spruce, oak, linden and aspen.

Alder is a valuable honey plant. Resinous substances are secreted from its buds and leaves, which serve bees to produce propolis.

The dry leaves of the plant are excellent for feeding livestock.

Black alder - deciduous tree

The most widespread among the known varieties is black alder, which got its name from the black bark of an adult tree. In Greek mythology, black alder, also characterized by sticky shiny leaves, is associated with the fire festival and the arrival of spring. Alder (the photo of the tree is given in the article) is very fond of light and moisture; growing in moist places, it can create alder swamps. At the same time, it does not tolerate standing water at all.

The growth of black alder, which is considered a loner due to its rejection of trees of other species, is quite fast. The plant can reach 20 meters. Flowering begins in April, and the fruits (cones with a narrow wing) ripen only at the end of next spring.

Black (sticky) alder, more capricious compared to other varieties, is included in the Red Book of Moldova, Kazakhstan and some regions of Russia. This tree is planted in parks and squares, thanks to its widely branched root system, it is planted along water bodies, strengthening the banks in this way.

Beauty with brown earrings

Alder - a tree, the description of which allows us to highlight its main characteristics, is an equally popular species of the birch family. In height, gray alder can reach up to 16 meters. Therefore, it is planted to secure the ravines and the coastal part. Propagated by offspring of roots, cuttings and seeds.

What does an alder look like? The tree has a gray, slightly curved trunk, gray leaves, brown catkins. These are the main features by which alder can be distinguished from other plants. Frost resistance and the ability to grow on depleted soils and wetlands are the advantages that characterize the alder tree.

Description, photo of the green beauty, an integral part natural complex allowing you to get to know her better.

Alder in the decorative arts

Growth is quite active, especially at a young age; during this period, wild thickets are most often formed by it. Thanks to such characteristics as the uniformity of the structure of wood, its softness, toughness and pliability, alder is a tree that has found wide application in industry. Its wood has long been used as the optimal material for artistic carving, is the basis for creating carved dishes, decorative panels and sculptures. During dry distillation, coal is obtained from alder, which artists use in their work, creating future masterpieces, and wood vinegar. The influxes on the trunks have a decorative value.

Industrial Application

Alder is easy to process, well planed, sawn, glued. Perfectly tolerates polishing, varnishing, staining; when screwing in screws it does not split, when hammering nails it can peel off. When dried, wood, which is also used in the manufacture of gunpowder, does not change its properties: it dries quickly, does not warp or crack. Thanks to these qualities, alder is used in the manufacture of musical instruments and parts for them.

Alder wood is resistant to water, does not rot, therefore it is used as a material in the manufacture of bridges, rafts, underwater structures and supports. Of the metals, it is critical to iron and in places where iron nails are hammered, it will cause a reaction of their rusting and, as a result, the appearance of gray circles at the points of contact. Does not like contact with cement mortar, which causes an alkaline reaction inside the tissues of the tree and its decay.

Alder is a tree that is widely used in the manufacture of plywood and chipboard. Shavings from it are added as an astringent antiseptic in the production of boards from beech, spruce, and pine shavings.

Alder as a building material

Alder tree is used in construction wooden houses, carved entrance gates, well lathing, production and restoration of furniture and decorative interior details. Straight trunks are used as fence posts.

This is an excellent material for the manufacture of packaging boxes, pallets, coils, various molds for casting. Alder, intended for outdoor construction, requires mandatory treatment with an antiseptic. Otherwise, the tree will begin to rot, especially when it comes into close contact with open ground.

In industrial production, paper is produced from alder wood, waste is used as fuel. Alder firewood is considered high-quality heating oil. With their help, excess soot was previously burned out of pipes. Such firewood burns beautifully and is characterized by high heat transfer and the absence of waste. It is not for nothing that they are called “royal”, because in ancient times they were used to heat the royal chambers.

Black alder bark is a first-class material for obtaining dyes for wool and leather, it gives red, black and yellow colors. Brown dye is obtained from the kidneys.

The use of alder in folk medicine

The beneficial properties of alder are widely used in medicine: traditional and folk, using mostly cones, leaves and tree bark, which contains tannins. Decoctions and infusions of cones and bark are taken as an astringent, anti-inflammatory, disinfectant, antibacterial and hemostatic agent. A purulent wound will heal quickly if a leaf of a black alder tree is applied to it.

For constipation and hemorrhoids, vodka infusion of earrings is used; with diathesis and eczema, they are treated with a decoction of flowers collected at the beginning of the flowering period. A decoction of alder cones is excellent for normalizing the natural intestinal microflora after taking antibiotics and is used in the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Also, such a remedy helps well with inflammatory processes of the nasopharynx and throat, colds, tonsillitis and pharyngitis.

In folk medicine, with nosebleeds in the nose, it is recommended to lay in the form of tampons fresh leaves alder. A decoction of them is good for gout, arthritis, joint pain. To prepare dry baths, fresh, freshly picked alder leaves are heated in the sun or in an oven and spread in a thick layer on the bed where the patient is placed. They cover the whole body with them and wrap a warm blanket on top. The duration of this session is about an hour. The best effect will be if the leaves are placed in a deep tub, and when they warm up, it is required to put the patient there up to the neck. In the same way, birch leaves are treated.

Alder brooms, which are good for cleansing, disinfecting, toning the skin and giving strength and vigor, are very popular in bath procedures.

Alder in veterinary medicine

In a number of countries, fresh alder leaves are used to control fleas in pets. They are scattered across the floor. A concentrated decoction of the leaves has recently been used in the fight against bedbugs - for treating walls and washing beds. The cones were given to pets for bloody diarrhea.

Due to the content of vitamin C, carotene and proteins, black alder leaves are widely used traditional medicine. A dry extract is produced from the cones - hops, which is used for dysentery; from wood - activated carbon tablets.

In cooking, sawdust and firewood are used for smoking meat and fish.

The collection of cones begins in late autumn and continues until March. To do this, the ends of the branches on which the cones grow are carefully cut with secateurs, after which the latter are cut off. Fallen seedlings are unsuitable for use. The collected raw materials, laid out in an even layer, are dried under a canopy or in attics in a ventilated room. AT warm weather the cones are dried in the open air, stirring occasionally. Shelf life of seedlings - 3 years.

Under conditions of moderate temperatures in most zones of Russia, such a well-known tree as alder, which is divided into several species, grows well. Due to its widest distribution and several distinctive quality characteristics in many areas of wood processing enterprises.

Alder belongs to the group of deciduous plants from the birch family. This tree grows well and develops near the banks of rivers, in swamps and in high mountainous regions. Depending on the environmental conditions of the alder, the type of soil, temperature changes, the plant can be either a tree or a low-growing shrub.

Alder wood does not have a central core in its trunk, due to which the color of its cut is uniform. After sawing, the cut of the tree is whitish in color, but after lying in the air it gradually acquires a yellowish-red color.

Alder wood is valued for a whole group of its main qualities:

• This tree does not rot under the conditions of its operation in water, and therefore, both in antiquity and now, it was widely used in the manufacture of piles, the foundations of wells.
• Alder wood can be perfectly exposed to a wide range of carpentry work. It is easy to cut, plan, products of various shapes are obtained from wood, craftsmen use alder blanks to create handicrafts that are unique in appearance.
• The special texture of alder wood harvested according to the standards allows it to be painted and processed using various paints, polishes, stains. Due to this valuable quality, wood of different types of alder is used as a material that imitates, that is, copies, more expensive ones. That is, the practicality of alder wood from this side of its use in production can be estimated at five points.
• Alder blanks dry almost without warping, which makes working with this type of treated wood highly economical.

Alder blanks have increased resistance to external mechanical stress and deformation. Among softly deciduous plants, alder rightfully occupies a leading position among trees that are highly resistant to decay processes in water.

Photo of an alder tree

Types of alder and their description

According to some data, a little more than 40 species of alder tree grow on the planet. Only a few species of this deciduous tree are common on the territory of our state. The plant is unpretentious, grows well in areas with temperate climate prefers moist soils.

Gray

The gray alder is a low tree, stretching to a height of about 25 meters. In Russia, it grows in the northern regions, Karelia, western Siberia and most regions of Central Asia. Harvested wood from gray alder is used less often than from black alder.

This is due to the fact that gray alder often has a crooked trunk and takes a long time to reach the height required for felling. Despite this, gray alder wood is used for the manufacture of plywood, chipboard, paper, and alder firewood. The environmental friendliness of toys obtained from this breed of trees is estimated at five points. Various boxes and containers are made from prepared wood.

Photo of gray alder

Gray alder Leaves, catkins and cones of gray alder

Black

Black alder is endowed with other names. Often used are such names for this type of plant as sticky alder or European. It grows almost everywhere in Russia. Trees growing on wet soils, as they quickly reach the desired height, have a smooth trunk and the least number of branches.

Black alder wood absorbs the least amount of water, it is coarse-grained and light. Wood from black alder is well processed, therefore it is widely used in carpentry in the manufacture of furniture, cases of some musical instruments.

Made from wood and containers for expensive products such as tea and tobacco. Goods in such packages retain their qualities for the longest period of time.

Photo of black alder

Leaves, catkins and cones of black alder Black alder

heart-leaved

The heart-leaved alder grows mainly in the regions of the Caucasus. The tree in the first 40 years of its life quickly reaches a height of about 30 meters. This tree is mainly used for landscaping. If wood is harvested, then its scope is almost identical to that of black and gray alder.

Alder is one of the most common trees on the territory of our state, and therefore it is not surprising that the use of this wood is widespread. Low cost, fairly easy processing, the ability to manufacture various products - all these qualities make alder an indispensable wood species.

This is how a heart-leaved alder looks like in the photo

Density

Alder, regardless of its species and place of growth, is a tree species with high even density. That is, the difference between the structure of the earliest annual layers of a plant compared to the most recent ones is insignificant. With a standard humidity of 12%, the average density reaches 525 kg/m3. After the complete drying process, the density reaches 595 kg/m3.

In terms of its main strength parameters, alder wood exceeds by several indicators taken into account such popular trees in logging as and. Also, alder, after its proper processing at enterprises and preparation, is practically not inferior in strength to pine and spruce wood.

The average value of different density indicators at natural, natural humidity of 125% is:

natural humidity

If the moisture content of alder wood is measured immediately after harvesting the marked tree, it will be at a level of about 110%. Under conditions of increased moisture absorption, the maximum moisture content of alder wood during the measurement reaches 185%.

Chemical constituents

Alder wood, like most of the hardwood group, consists of organic substances, mineral compounds. Alder wood also contains unique tannins, referred to as polyphenols. When the tree is cut down, these polyphenols are oxidized on contact with air and converted into flobaphenes.

It is from flobafen that the changing color of the tree from white to reddish depends. Also, flobafen gives wood high resistance and strength in water. Alder wood is also rich in tannins, these compounds, reacting with a certain chemical interaction with salts heavy metals in water, form unique compounds that increase the strength of wood.

Due to these elements and properties formed after sawing the trunk, alder wood is little exposed to decay under the conditions of its operation in aquatic environment and is resistant to the activity of many pathogenic microorganisms for plants.

Ignition temperature

The calorific value of firewood made from alder wood is 4.1 kWh/kg. Alder firewood flares up quickly enough, due to the lack of resin, they do not emit fumes, they burn out for a long time and emit a hot flame. Alder firewood has a subtle aroma that lasts for years.

Due to a certain smell, alder shavings are used when smoking meat and fish. From sawdust formed during the processing of alder, pressed briquettes are used in fireplaces. The thermal conductivity of alder wood reaches the level of 0.15–0.17 W/(m×K).

Color shades and texture of alder wood

If you look at a cut of freshly sawn alder, you can see that its color is almost white. After the alder in this form lies a little in the air, its color begins to change. At first, the sawn and prepared wood turns slightly pink, then it acquires different colors red color, ranging from the lightest, yellowish to rich brown.

The color change occurs due to the release of polyphenols, which in the air are converted into a coloring pigment - flobafen. After the alder wood has been subjected to the correct, standard drying process, its color changes to chocolate.

Alder wood is valued by specialists for its homogeneous structure, it does not have a pronounced core, annual rings on the saw cut are practically not separated from each other by a visible effect. Weakly visible and rays extending from the middle of the tree.

Due to the softness of the wood, its special absorbent parameters, the blanks from this plant can be painted in any color shades. With proper processing and preparation of wood, craftsmen receive unique wooden crafts and products that, in their own way, external characteristics completely imitate expensive wood species.

Alder wood standards according to GOST

The variety of alder wood already in the process of harvesting is determined by several parameters. This is the smoothness of the trunk, the number of knots and certain malformations, the most important of which include cracks, curvature of the trunk.

The variety of alder, harvested wood largely depends on where the harvested tree grows, and whether all the conditions of standard wood processing are observed in the process of making sawn timber from it.

The price of alder wood and lumber from it is estimated by experts at 4 points. The cost of this wood makes it possible to obtain from it cost-effective products used in various spheres of human life.

Harvesting, drying and medicinal properties of alder: