An ally to other plants, the red alder is very beneficial native hardwood. Often found as one of the earliest tree species to come in after a disturbance, red alder help improve soil conditions by fixing nitrogen. The tree is fast growing and tend to grow up around 50 feet and live between 50-75 years old. It is often confused with paper birch, but the red alder leaves tend to be less spade shaped and rounder and contain both cones and catkins on the same tree.
Classification: Perennial deciduous tree Key Characteristics: Toothed leaves, grey bark sometimes with white patches of lichens at maturity, cones and catkins on the same tree Light Requirements: Full sun to partly shady Water Requirements: Moist soils, tolerates drought Ease of Growing: Easy Growth Rate: Medium Bloom Time: Early spring Spreads: No Type of support: Pollinators, birds, riparian Edible: No Mature Height: 40-80 feet Mature Width: 40-50 feet
