grey alder

Also known as Tag Alder, Speckled Alder, Mountain Alder, White Alder

Grey alders thrive along riverbanks, swamps, and disturbed floodplains across the Northern Hemisphere where their roots form symbiotic associations with actinobacteria to fix nitrogen into infertile soils. Female catkins mature into woody cone-like structures that persist through winter, providing key seasonal forage for siskins, redpolls, and other small seed-eating birds. This multi-stemmed tree rapidly stabilizes eroding shorelines and acts as a vital pioneer species in cool wetland ecosystems.