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Speckled Alder (Alnus incana)

Speckled Alder, also known as Grey Alder, is a shrub or small tree found across cooler regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Speckled alder has a wide range across the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
It commonly grows in wet soils and often forms dense thickets around wetlands, swamps, bog margins, and streambeds.
It is commonly found in Canada and the northeastern United States.
Specific mentions include Ontario, northern Minnesota and Maine.

Speckled alder thickets provide cover for wildlife like moose and white-tailed deer.
It commonly occurs or codominates with willows (Salix spp.).
It can be a convenient pioneer species under harsh environmental conditions.
It can be invasive in certain wetland reserves.
Frankia bacteria are believed to interact with speckled alder, contributing to nitrogen fixation.

Speckled alder can grow as a large shrub or a tree, typically reaching up to 18 meters (59 feet), but 22m (72ft 2in) has been recorded.
It is a deciduous tree, hardy to zone (UK) 2.
It spreads rhizomatously and prefers moderately acidic soil.
The thin bark is speckled with pores (lenticels), giving it its common name.
Flowers are monoecious (separate male and female flowers on the same plant), flowering from February to March, with seeds ripening in October.
It forms dense thickets and can develop a single trunk.
Leaves are toothed, dark green above, and lighter below.

Commonly occurs or codominates with willows (Salix spp.).
Frankia bacteria interact with speckled alder, contributing to nitrogen fixation.

The lenticels on the bark, which give Speckled Alder its name, are not for decoration; they are pores.
The bark has been traditionally used in tanning and dyeing.
Native North American Indians used it medicinally to treat a variety of complaints.