Alder is a coniferous or deciduous tree. What does an alder tree look like and where does it grow - a description of the main features

- (lat. Alnus) - a genus of trees and shrubs of the Birch family, uniting about 30 species distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, a fast-growing tree reaching full development for 50-60 years, but can live 150 years. The height of its trunk can be 15-20 m, diameter - 15-25 cm.

AT middle lane two main types of alder are common: gray and black, so named for the color of the bark.

Most alder species bloom before their leaves open, and the appearance of their dangling male catkins is one of the earliest signs of spring. Some species bloom late summer or early autumn. Short erect female earrings, as the fruits ripen (by the next spring), turn into woody cones. Alder can be easily recognized both in summer and in winter by these cones that remain on the tree. all year round and do not discard long after the seeds have spilled. No other European species of deciduous trees has such a characteristic distinguishing feature. Shoots naked or drooping, different colors, with whitish lenticels. Leaves only on growth shoots, alternate, simple, entire, serrated or lobed-toothed, of various shapes.

Alder forests (alders, olses) are soft-leaved forests, in the stands of which one of the tree-like species of alder dominates. Depending on the edificator, there are black alder forests (black alder forests), gray alder forests (grey alder forests), etc., which in terms of classification correspond to individual forest formations. The main massifs of alder forests are concentrated in North America (mainly plantations of red alder, in the countries of East Asia, as well as in the mountains of Central Europe. Alder forests are also widespread in Belarus, Ukraine (Polesie), the Baltic countries. In Russia - in the Kaliningrad and Bryansk regions , in the north of the Russian Plain, less - in the Urals, Siberia, the Far East and the Caucasus mountains. total area alder forests in the European part of Russia is about 1.6 million hectares, with a timber reserve of over 170 million m3, including black alder forests - 1.0 million hectares and 110 million m3, respectively. The rest is mostly gray alder. Other alder formations in Russia are of no economic importance.

Alder wood

Alder is a scattered vascular non-core sapwood. Its wood in a freshly cut state is white, but in the air it acquires a color from orange-yellow to yellow-red or reddish-brown. Juice stains only the surface layers of wood. In stable light chocolate color with a pinkish tinge, alder wood is painted only after it is dried and aged. The annual layers are weakly visible on all sections, the vessels are not visible. Rare false-wide heart-shaped rays are visible on all sections. Heart-shaped repetitions are often found, which on longitudinal sections look like brownish or brown or curved narrow strips, closed contours, dashes, specks that look like a core.

Freshly cut alder wood has a moisture content of about 110%. Maximum humidity at water absorption - 185%.

Alder (black and gray) belongs to the species of low density. The average density of alder wood at standard humidity (12%) is 525 kg/m3, absolutely dry - 595 kg/m3, base density - 430 kg/m3.

Alder wood is not very durable, but has a fairly uniform structure that facilitates processing, and a beautiful reddish color. More even and thicker trunks, therefore, are used for crafts, for carpentry and turning, but the bulk of alder wood goes into firewood, which is usually valued 10-30% cheaper than birch wood. Alder shavings and sawdust are used for smoking meat and fish. Alder firewood is used for burning soot in chimneys (especially after pine ones).

Alder wood is soft, light, cuts well, warps a little during drying, has good dimensional stability, is well pickled and polished. Therefore, earlier it was widely used for the manufacture of furniture. Including expensive, due to the fact that alder can be "finished" under mahogany. Alder is suitable for carving. It is also used to obtain veneer, both peeled (for plywood) and planed (for furniture and other products).

Alder wood is preserved under water for a long time and therefore is used for small underwater structures. Alder is easily stained, pickled and polished. Ridges lend themselves well to peeling. In the modern furniture industry, gray and black alder is treated with ammonia (vapours ammonia) and then pressed. After such processing, alder wood is much superior to walnut wood in terms of technical and decorative properties. Dyeing gives it an expressive texture pattern. This is achieved due to the fact that the annual layers have different densities, and dyes are absorbed by separate areas with different strengths. For deep dyeing, iron vitriol, natural chrome peak and other mordants are used.

Alder is readily used for easel and chamber sculpture, carved wall panels and decorative dishes. High-quality coals for drawing are burned out of it. The wood of alder burls, which have an expressive textural pattern, is highly valued.

Black alder wood is resistant to moisture, so it has always been used where contact with water is inevitable: in bridge building (piles), in house building (gutters), cooperage.

From the bark of black alder, dyes were obtained for cloth, silk and leather, which were dyed, depending on the preliminary treatment, in black, red and yellow. With a decoction of alder bark, fishermen painted nets in a camouflage color, after which they became much stronger, and carpenters painted alder wood “under the walnut”.

Alder coal was valued for making hunting gunpowder. Charcoal, obtained from alder, is considered the best for blacksmith forges.

They will protect the harvest from bad weather, and people from diseases and dark forces.

Alder found in the forest and forest-steppe zones of Russia and western Siberia on the banks of lakes, rivers and swamps.

Alder names

Alder has many names that came from the people: wilkha, eloha, forester, oleshnik. The generic name Alnus is the Latin name for black alder, derived from the Celtic words Al (at) and Lan (shore). It was also found among the Roman writers Pliny and Vetruvius.

Where does alder grow?

Alder prefers the rich wet soils, but may occur in dry or clay soils. Sometimes it grows in a real quagmire, where a person is not able to pass.

Alder is able to change life forms from living conditions: trees or shrubs. In central Russia, two species are most widely found: Alder gray and Alder black(adhesive).

Black alder is included in the Red Books of Russia, Kazakhstan and Moldova. Here she prefers reservoirs, damp lowlands.

Often caught in the eye of people, Alder always remains invisible. In spring, its foliage darkens quickly, and in autumn, when all the trees put on bright outfits, it remains unchanged. At the time of leaf fall, the Alder leaf will only bashfully curl up and imperceptibly fall to the ground.

But in winter, Alder is not difficult to recognize by small bumps on the branches and in the snow.

Alder trunk mostly slender, covered with smooth bark. Trees grow rapidly, reaching a height of more than 20 meters.

Alder gray - deciduous tree or large shrub with a rounded silver-gray crown. The trunk is curved, with bark gray color. The leaves are gray on the inside, sharp at the end. Flowers are unisexual. Women sit in the axils of the inflorescence, turning into a small cone by autumn. Alder has a sticky grayish-brown bark, and the foliage is sticky and shiny, dark green above, dull below.

When does alder bloom?

Alder blossom depends on the type and latitude of growth.

Most of the trees are blooming in early spring, in April-May. Before or during the blooming of the leaves, long catkins bloom on the Alder.

Medicinal properties

Alder cones possess anti-inflammatory, astringent and disinfectant properties, which have long been used in traditional medicine. Volatile phytoncides of the bark and leaves of Alder have a detrimental effect on some types of protozoa.

Alder has been used in medicine for centuries. In the herbalists of the Middle Ages, external applications of a decoction of Alder leaves for gout and fungal diseases are often found.

Alder cones used as a decoction or infusion for colitis, dysentery, colds, stomach and intestinal bleeding. Alder is also an affordable remedy in veterinary medicine.

A decoction of Alder cones has hemostatic and astringent properties. It is used for burns, bleeding gums, nosebleeds, skin inflammations, and duodenal or stomach ulcers.

Alder leaf decoction- diaphoretic during colds. In addition, special foot baths can be made from a decoction of the leaves to help relieve fatigue.

Alder wood It does not have high strength, but it has softness and a uniform structure, so it is easy to work with it. Thanks to these properties, Alder has found its application in many industries. When dried, the wood does not crack; musical instruments are made from it. Due to the viscosity and softness of Alder, sculptures, panels and carved dishes are carved. Alder has a beautiful red hue of wood, so it is widely used in furniture design and carpentry.

Alder. Contraindications

What is an alder, why do some consider it a tree, while others consider it a shrub? The truth is both. It all depends on the conditions in which it grows. It can change its shape, taking the form of a deciduous bush with cones, or it can transform and become a branchy tree.

Let's talk about this magical tree with small knobs, which at one time was considered sacred, was a symbol of fertility.

Myths and legends

There are many myths and legends about this tree. It is discussed in Greek mythology. The first musical instrument of Orpheus was an alder pipe. The connection between the flute and alder can be traced in the name of this musician, which, according to some historians, is shortened from Orphruoeis - "growing on the river bank", thus indicating the alder.

The shores of the caves of the sorceresses Sercea and Calypso, who held Odysseus, were overgrown with alder. In myths there is no specification of what kind this or that alder was, but in nature there are many varieties. The fact that the tree has ancient roots is evidenced by the existence of a certain tribe of Arverns - "alder people" who lived in the territory where the Celts lived.

Alder growing areas

The alder tree grows in North America, where since ancient times it has been called "alnus", which translates as "coastal". It belongs to the Birch family, as having earrings and bumps. The places where alder grows are different. It can be areas with high humidity: rivers, streams, swamps, lakes. She feels good in the forest-steppe and in the mixed forests where there are aspens, birches, spruces and oaks. Meet different kinds alders in the areas Western Siberia and Ural. The range of gray alder covers most Europe, the species is found in Asia Minor and some oases of North Africa. In the Carpathians and the Alps, it can be found at significant heights above sea level.

Alder species

In total, botanists have confirmed the existence of about 40 species of alder. The most common include:

• black alder, which is considered one of the best medicinal species;
• gray alder with ovate leaves and superficial roots;
• white, with light gray bark and leaves with double-serrated edges;
• red straight-barreled;
• shrub alder, rapidly growing.

In addition to the above species in Siberia and Far East can be found: Siberian, fluffy, Japanese, Italian, which are interspecific hybrids, and the established names are more related to the places of growth of such species of alder.

Alder tree: description

If we consider the features appearance, it all depends on the places of its growth, the species to which it belongs, as well as the soils on which it grows. A tree that grows on fertile soil can reach a height of up to 25 meters by the age of fifty. Black alder grows up to 35 meters. And what does alder look like on soils with poor fertility? It grows as a bush, living up to 60-70 years.

Alder has a lush crown. But it is not homogeneous, somewhat sparse due to the uneven arrangement of branches. Alder is one of the first to signal that spring has come. This is manifested in the abundant flowering of the tree. At this time, it stands decorated with beautiful earrings, which are divided into male and female. Women's earrings are no more than 1 cm in size, while men's ones reach sizes of 5 - 9 cm. The article presents species photos of alder trees and leaves that appear after flowering.

Fruit

Alder cones of different sizes are fruits. Depending on its type, they are membranous and leathery, while others are wingless. All winter the cones hang closed on the alder, opening only in March and sowing the soil with their seeds.

Cones can be harvested in late autumn and winter if alder grows in the garden. When harvesting cones, they are cut with garden shears. The buds are dried at room temperature. Dried fruits become brown or brown in color. They give off a light scent. They have an astringent taste.

Alder blooms in April and before blooming leaves that have an oval or round shape, pollinated by the wind. She prepared for spring flowering the previous summer. It is at this time that men's earrings are laid, which grow and form until late autumn. By winter, they have a supply of pollen ready. The fruits of this alder ripen by the spring of next year. They are cones with a narrow wing. This is clearly seen in the photo of the tree and alder leaves.

The bark is dark in color, with a significant number of cracks on old branches.

Black alder is found in North America, Europe, Ukraine and the Baltic countries. Likes wetlands. Sometimes black alder has the appearance of thickets, especially in those places where there is a stream or a small river. There is even a sign among the people: "Where there is a good alder, there is a heap of hay." This type of alder is included in the Red Books of Kazakhstan, Moldova and some regions of Russia. Black alder is quite often used by landscapers for planting valley parks.

Black alder has a significant number decorative species, differing in the shape of the leaf blade and the shape of the crown. What does the alder of these decorative species look like? For example, oakleaf has lobed leaves similar to oak leaves; in rowan-leaved foliage of a pinnate-lobed species; royal has small, more deeply cut leaves. And all this is alder.

Scope of a black alder

Characteristic in the description of this species of alder is the value of its wood. In ancient times, it was known that it was durable and did not rot, so it was used for lining wells, making barrels and underwater structures. When drying wood, cracks do not form on it. This makes it possible to make musical instruments from it, in particular, flutes and pipes.

In ancient times, shoes were made from alder wood and bark. Due to the pliability and softness of wood, it is used for the manufacture of sculptures and panels. Alder wood after felling changes its color from white to red. When it is treated with ammonia and drying oil, it acquires a beautiful ebb. Samples of decorative furniture are constructed from such wood. Amulets, talismans and amulets are made from alder, sincerely believing that they will help protect both the hearth and the person.

In folk medicine, alder bark and cones are used, containing a large number of tannins. Purulent wounds are treated with young leaves, and for diathesis, a decoction of black alder flowers is prepared. Alcohol infusions of alder earrings are used for constipation.

Trees of this species can be found on the dry uplands of the European part of Russia. This is a low type of plant, often having the appearance of a large shrub with superficial roots. Gray alder can often be seen on the edge of spruce forests and in fields that once served as arable land. Why is this type of alder called gray? Most likely, this is due to the color of the bark and the shade of alder leaves, which occurs due to a small edge that gives silver. Further in the article are photos of an alder tree and leaves, which are egg-shaped. The slightly pointed top of the alder leaf gives it a resemblance to a birch leaf. Gray alder blooms, like black alder, long before the leaves appear.

As mentioned above, gray alder has superficial roots. Microorganisms settle in them, which, absorbing gaseous nitrogen from the air, turn it into nitrogenous compounds. Due to this, gray alder is a natural creator of nitrogenous fertilizers. There is one more interesting property tree: in autumn, alder leaves look like in spring, green. The tree sheds leaves that are not dyed crimson and gold, preparing for winter. They stay green when they fall to the ground and rot very quickly, improving the topsoil.

Decorative forms of gray alder are varied. For example, blue alder, common in North America, has the form of a shrub or a low (6 meters) tree with dove-colored leaves, sometimes with a lower edge. Golden has a reddish shoot color, and the leaves are pubescent and slightly yellowish.

There is a variety of decorative gray alder called ugly. It has flat, creeping branches.

Scope of gray alder

The wood is used to make decorative ornaments and furniture. Red, brown and green paint is obtained from the bark of the tree. Gray alder does not rot in water. Like black, it was used in the foundations of some medieval cathedrals. Many cathedrals and castles in Venice still stand on alder stilts, as do watermills in Scotland. The gunsmiths of the Middle Ages knew a lot about alder wood. They valued wood as the best for coal, which was used to melt metal for swords.

Beekeepers know that alder pollen is an excellent food for bees. In folk and official medicine, alder received wide application thanks to tannins, vegetable and essential oils.

Infusions from lignified alder cones are used for all kinds of inflammatory diseases internal organs, as well as in the form of dressings for non-healing trophic ulcers, eczema and burns. A broom of branches and leaves is an excellent bactericidal agent that tones the skin in a bath.

It grows in Italy and Albania. This is Alnus cordata - Italian (heart-shaped). The article presents a photo of an alder tree and leaves of this species, which is often confused with Alnus subcordata - heart-leaved. Italian alder has an ovoid crown. Its leaves are dense, smooth, oval in shape. They remain on the tree until December. They are shaped like cherry leaves. The bark of the tree is dark brown.

Growing alder in home gardens

Many summer residents like to plant on their personal plots ornamental trees and shrubs, turning part of the site into a piece of fairytale forest. Alder is no exception, especially since its bark, fruits, leaves, pollen are good folk medicines which are good to have always "at hand". You can plant ready-made perennial alder trees, small seedlings purchased from nurseries, seedlings from shoots dug up in places of growth, or wait for seedlings of seeds of one or another type of alder planted on the site.

Alder refers to large-sized. They have a powerful root system, a height of more than 15 meters, a well-formed crown. If a sufficiently mature tree is planted on the site, the process is laborious. Here we need equipment that will bring a tree and plant it in a prepared place. Landing can be done at any time, but the best option there will be an alder planting in autumn and even in winter, when the tree reacts least to temperature changes and is at rest.

In central Russia, landing time is from November to March. Care for a tree planted in this way consists in intensive watering and loosening in the first year after planting.

In the nursery, you can buy shrub alder, which reaches a height of 3 meters, or is formed in the form of a small tree, which is rarely higher than 10 meters. Shrub alder grows quickly, is not picky about the soil, demanding on moisture. Alder will transform even the most nondescript piece of a personal plot, turning it into a cozy green corner over time.

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 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, photos of the green beauty, an integral part of the natural complex, will allow you to get to know her better.

Alder in the decorative arts

Growth is strong, especially in young age, during this period, most often it forms wild thickets. 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 details 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.

AT industrial production paper is produced from alder wood, the 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 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 fresh alder leaves in the form of tampons. 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.