Alnus glutinosa
Common alder · also Black alder, European alder, European black alder
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Alnus glutinosa, also known as common or black alder, is a medium-sized, short-lived deciduous tree native to Europe, southwest Asia, and northern Africa. It thrives in wet locations due to its symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which enriches the soil. This pioneer species provides food and shelter for wildlife but can be considered invasive in some areas due to its aggressive spread along waterways.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 8,0562.8%41 yr9.8 in
- 5,7330.50%—2.8 in
- 2,2123.0%8.8 yr9.8 in
- 6810.20%4.0 yr2.0 in
- 3930.09%41 yr11 in
- 3470.71%6.8 yr—
- 2890.04%—3.9 in
- 1880.07%—6.3 in
- 1450.06%—6.1 in
- 940.06%2.9 yr2.0 in
- 410.01%—5.0 in
- 280.01%3.4 yr2.4 in
- 120.00%—9.0 in
- 110.00%—5.5 in
- 80.01%15 yr30 in
- 50.00%—14 in
- 40.00%—17 in
- 40.00%—3.8 in
- 20.00%—9.3 in
- 20.02%—3.9 in
- 10.00%—3.5 in
- 10.00%—2.0 in
Traits
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Mature height
- 50–80 ft
- Canopy spread
- 30 ft
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Wildlife value
- High
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr, May
Trunk diameters across every city: median 5.9 in, mean 7.4 in, 90th percentile 16 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Temperate Broadleaf & Mixed Forests
- Baltic mixed forests
- Central Anatolian steppe and woodlands
- Central European mixed forests
- East European forest steppe
- Eastern Anatolian deciduous forests
- European Atlantic mixed forests
- Western European broadleaf forests
Temperate Conifer Forests
- Northern Anatolian conifer and deciduous forests
Montane Grasslands & Shrublands
- Kuh Rud and Eastern Iran montane woodlands
Other Alnus in the catalogue
18 of the top 2,000 species are in this genus.
