Our Local Ecology The Land - Tree IdentificationAlder Trees Mountain Alder - AInus crispa (Ait.)Other Common Names: Downy Alder and Alder. The Mountain Alder is found throughout P.E.I. and is often mistaken for the Speckled Alder. It is a small shrub seldom exceeding a height of 10 feet. Stems frequently grow in clumps, dividing close to the ground. The ascending branches form a bushy, rounded crown. The Mountain Alder, unlike its close relative, the Speckled Alder, prefers well-drained locations. It is frequently found on old abandoned farms, along fences and roadsides. Its unstalked, blackish, winter buds and lighter green, finer-toothed leaves makes it readily recognizable from the speckled alder. Its wood is sometimes used for fuel, but has no commercial value. The tree serves a useful purpose in checking the rush of water during spring floods. DESCRIPTION LEAVES: Alternate, simple, round to round-oval, base ovate to heart-shaped, 1 to 3 inches long, shiny green above, paler below with veins, slightly downy, irregularly toothed with fine sharp crowded teeth, margins often puckered. FLOWERS: May-June, unisexual; in clustered reddish-brown to dark brown catkins, formed the preceding autumn and opening with the leaves; both sexes on the same twig. FRUIT: Autumn; a tiny, conspicuous-winged nut; borne in a stout, nearly black core 1/4 to 1/2 inch long; shed at maturity. TWIGS: Zigzag, slender, slightly downy, reddish brown. Terminal bud reddish brown to dark brown, very slightly hairy, unstalked about 1/4 of an inch long; lateral buds similar. BARK: Smooth, dark to reddish brown with small orange lenticels. WOOD: Light, soft, weak diffuse-porous; light brown with lighter sapwood.
Speckled Alder - AInus rugosa (DuRoi) Spreng.Other Common Names: Grey Alder, Hoary Alder, Alder. The speckled alder, common throughout P.E.I., is a low, crooked, often declining shrub from 6 to 15 feet in height and a diameter up to 4 inches. It often grows in clumps of many stems which branch of close to the ground. It is commonly found in thickets along streams, around lakes, in swamps, and on areas that are subject to spring flooding. Its best development is reached on a wet, well drained, sandy or gravelly soil. It is readily distinguished from the Mountain or Downey alder by its stalked buds and triple-toothed leaves. The wood., although sometimes used for fuelwood, has no commercial value. The tree does serve a useful purpose in checking the rush of water during spring floods. DESCRIPTION LEAVES: Alternate, simple, broad oval in outline, sharp-pointed usually triple-toothed, 1 1/2 to 4 inches long, dull, dark green, conspicuously veined above, smooth or hairy, covered with a whitish bloom below. FLOWERS: March-May; uni-sexual, in clustered, reddish-brown catkins, formed the preceding autumn and opening before the leaves; both sexes on same twig. FRUIT: Autumn, a tiny, two-winged nut, wider than its very narrow wings; borne in a stout nearly black cone 1/4 to 1/2 inch long; shed at maturity. TWIGS: Slender, greyish-brown, slightly hairy. Buds reddish-brown, usually downy, distinctly stalked about 1/3 of an inch long. Has a terminal bud. BARK: Smooth, greyish-brown with conspicuous, whitish lenticels. WOOD: Light, soft, weak, diffuse-porous; pale brown, turning red on exposure to air.
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