Siberian Alder – Alnus hirsuta var. sibirica
Family Betulaceae – Alder, Birch, Hornbeam
Height: to 60 feet / USDA zones 5-9
Native to temperate forests, along streambanks; 700-1500 m. Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Shandong, Japan, Korea, Russia (Siberia).
Siberian Alder from seed is 14 years old
All of the alders associate symbiotically with species of the actinomycete Frankia , leading to the formation of nodules on the roots of the plants and the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen.
Alder thickets provide hiding cover to moose and white-tailed deer. Beavers build dams and lodges with speckled alder. Songbirds, including American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, and Redpoll feed on the seeds.
Woodcock and grouse eat the buds and catkins. Thickets provide drumming sites for woodcock and grouse.
References
1. Siberian alder, Morton Arboretum acc. 313-93*6 photos by Bruce Marlin
2. www.efloras.org, Flora of China, Alnus hirsuta Turczaninow ex Ruprecht, Bull.
3. United States Department of Agriculture NRCS Plant Fact Sheet 565
Family Betulaceae – Alder, Birch, Hornbeam
Trees Index | Trees Main
Tree Encyclopedia / North American Insects & Spiders
Online since 2002
