Description

Native To
European Alder trees live in Central Europe and southwest Asia and northern Africa.

Height & Age
The Alder can reach a maximum age of 120 years and can reach a height of 30 meters.

Flowers & Fruits
Their buds, which are up to six millimeters long, lengthen when they sprout and reach about twice their initial size. Between April and May, the Alder flowers for up to four weeks. This tree, as well as the Hornbeam, is monoecious. This means that male and female flowers are on the same tree. It’s flowers are wind-pollinated (energy efficient!).

Fun Fact(s)
The Alder has a balanced relationship with the bacteria Frankia alni. It forms nodules on the tree’s roots and absorbs nitrogen from the air and fixes it in a form available to the tree. In return it gets carbon produced by the tree through photosynthesis. It improves the fertility of the soil which makes this a pioneer species in ecological succession.Have a pollen allergy? Pollen from the Alder, along with that from birch and hazel, is one of the main sources of tree pollen allergy. In central Europe, these tree pollen are the second most common cause of allergic conditions after grass pollen.. Bless you!