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Italian alder
Scientific Name: Alnus cordata
Family: Betulaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Tree
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Italian Alder (Alnus cordata)
The Italian Alder, scientifically known as Alnus cordata, is a handsome and fast-growing tree prized for its conical shape and adaptability to various environments.
Considerations for Pets
- The tree bears cones, which could present a choking hazard if ingested by pets.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Alnus cordata
- Common Name: Italian Alder
- Family: Betulaceae (Birch family)
- Synonym: A. cordifolia
- Two recognized botanical varieties: rotundifolia and genuina.
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to southern Italy (including Sardinia and Sicily), and Corsica and northwest Albania.
- Has become naturalized in Belgium.
- Occasionally planted in parks and gardens.
- Can thrive in poor, wet soils, including chalky soils.
Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits
- Deciduous tree, typically reaching 8-25 meters (26-82 feet) in height, sometimes reaching 15m.
- Fast-growing and conical in form.
- Leaves are glossy, heart-shaped (cordate), and dark green, sometimes retained until December in mild urban areas. Leaves are 5cm across.
- Features yellow-brown catkins in spring before the leaves appear, followed by cone-like fruits in autumn.
- Develops bright green heart-shaped leaves and conspicuous catkins in late winter.
- Has a smooth, pale grey bark.
Ecological Role
- Fast, deep-rooted, nitrogen-fixing tree, making it suitable for soil improvement.
- Acts as a good windbreak.
- Provides excellent shelter for native under-story.
Interactions with Other Organisms
- Susceptible to the Italian alder aphid (Crypturaphis grassi).
- Monoecious and wind-pollinated.
Quirky Facts
- The Italian Alder is regarded as the finest of the alder species.
- Italian Alder is fast growing 1.2m plus a.