The main properties of alder wood and its varieties. Alder is a valuable and healing plant

Many people ask questions about what an alder looks like, is it a shrub or a tree. Depending on the habitat conditions, the plant can change its shape and grow in the form of a deciduous bush with cones or a large sprawling tree. The homeland of the species is Europe. This tree used to be endowed with magical properties,considered sacred, a symbol of fertility and rebirth, and today is widely used in industry and medicine.

Botanically, this tree with catkins belongs to the birch family. Most often it can be found in the area with high humidity: near rivers, swamps, lakes. If we talk about Russia, then this tree species is most common in the Ural region, Western Siberia, in the steppe and forest-steppe zone. Spruces, birches, aspens, oaks can grow next to them. Graceful earrings on the tree appear in spring, at the time of flowering, and by autumn, fruits in the form of small cones ripen.

In total there are about 40 species of alder. We usually have three types:

• Gray. The species was named so because gray color bark and the same shade of leaves growing on it. Its trunk is uneven, has many bends. In height, the species grows up to 20 m. During the flowering period of the alder, brown earrings appear on it. This species loves light, so it grows more often in sunny places. These trees are not afraid of cold and winds, they can take root on rather poor soils.
• Black alder is different dark color bark with many cracks. The leaves are oval or rounded, have a notch. The trunk is branched. This variety reaches a height of up to 35 m. Flowering occurs with the formation of earrings in early spring. The fruits at the time of ripening look like cones coniferous trees small size. It likes to grow near rivers, you will not meet it in wetlands. Black alder has beautiful, pinkish wood with a sheen, so it is often used in production.
• Red alder has been cultivated since 1884. Grows up to 20 m in height. The tree has light gray bark and dark red shoots. The leaves are large, pointed, with a tucked-in serrated edge. Cones are egg-shaped, medium-sized, collected in 6-8 pieces.

Gallery: alder tree (25 photos)

Application in construction

The wood of this tree is used not only independently, but also as a component in the production of chipboard, plywood, and veneer. This is justified by its antiseptic qualities due to its astringent properties. Each type of alder has its own characteristics that determine the scope of its application.

Black alder is considered the most sensitive to temperature changes, so they try not to use it in the decoration of saunas and baths. What you need to consider when working with alder - this wood is quite soft and still requires treatment from pests and moisture. Its main advantage is a long service life and the fact that the fibers have a beautiful texture. This species is used for the manufacture of crafts, toys, paper, and is used as fuel.

Gray alder products are better suited for use in wet conditions, which expands the scope of its application. This wood is also ideal for making eco-friendly toys, shoes and some turning tools.

Houses, saunas, baths

The advantages of this type of wood include the ability to obtain beautiful shades with the help of staining and even achieve an imitation of more valuable tree species. Alder board has healing properties, so it is well suited for interior decoration of houses, saunas and baths. The advantages of building materials from alder wood are:

• resistance to deformation at high temperatures;
• no emission of resinous and other harmful compounds;
• the ability to absorb moisture well;
• excellent sound and heat insulation properties;
• the fact that condensation does not accumulate on the surface of this wood;
• low thermal conductivity - this minimizes the risk of burns.

When building structures, it is important to take into account one nuance - alder boards should not come into contact with the ground.

Doors, laminate, furniture

From the array of this wood, excellent interior doors are obtained. Thanks to various processing, they can be used in any interior, while the price remains quite affordable. Alder doors are completely safe, besides they have antibacterial and anti-allergic properties, they can be used even in children's rooms. They serve for quite a long time.

Alder laminate not only meets all technical requirements, but also has an attractive appearance. It can be considered as a replacement for elite parquet. Such floors are not too dirty, easy to clean, do not require a lot of time for maintenance and some special means for this.

For the manufacture of furniture, not only solid wood is used, alder is part of plywood, chipboard and furniture panels. In operation, these types of materials give the best wear resistance, they do not form chips, are not subject to deformation. Furniture made of alder is lightweight, but at the same time quite durable.

It is important to know that when working with wood it is better not to use nails, they can split the material when driven in. Screws will be a great replacement in this case.

Alder leaves, bark, alder seeds, which are recommended to be collected, have a healing effect. late autumn. When harvesting, the cones are cut with garden shears, after which they are dried in a room at room temperature. If everything is done correctly, the fruits will have a brown or brown color, a light aroma and an astringent taste. The leaves are harvested at the beginning of summer, and the bark at the beginning of winter.

Thanks to the presence essential oils, organic acids, tannins, alkaloids and other components, preparations based on alder fruits and leaves have a blood-purifying, bactericidal, hemostatic, astringent effect. Decoctions from the seeds and leaves of this plant give a diaphoretic and antimicrobial effect, reduce inflammation.

An infusion of alder fruits is used to treat disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, the bark is used for enterocolitis and digestive disorders. Plant-based decoctions cleanse the skin, heal wounds, eliminate nosebleeds, reduce allergies, and help with rheumatism.

This tree belongs to the genus alder, birch family, has several names. Alder black, sticky, European (Alnus glutinosa). Alder originated from Europe. The plant is photophilous, but it also tolerates shade well. The soil likes fertile, well-moistened. Prefers abundant watering. It grows up to 35 meters in height and can last about a hundred years. Planted by seeds.

The deciduous tree is quite tall, sometimes multi-stemmed. The bark of an adult tree is almost black; in a young plant it is still light brown, but rather dark.

The leaves of black alder are alternate, dark green in color, oval or round in shape with a notch in the upper part, sticky, shiny.

Alder has monoecious flowers that form catkins. They bloom in early spring, sometimes even faster than leaves. The entire period of growth and development of the tree is the process of laying earrings. With stamens, this happens in 5-6 months, somewhere from July, and with pistils - 1-2 months from September. On pedicels, expanded thyroid, three male flowers are placed. The outer part (perianth) is simple, 4 incision or 4 leaves. The female ones are located in the axils of the scales, which contain a lot of pulp, and are arranged in pairs.

At the time of ripening, the scales harden and form the so-called cone, very similar to the fruit of coniferous trees. Black alder propagates with the help of seeds or above-ground shoots (stub shoots).

Alder fruits are small cones that have a narrow wing, but may be without it. At first, the color of the fruit is green, then it becomes brown with a red tint. The ripening period falls at the beginning of autumn. For the winter, the cones close, and with the beginning of spring they open and seeds fall out from there. The wind blows them apart melt water promote seed dispersal.

This plant can be found almost throughout Europe, except for the northern part. Asia Minor, North Africa and North America the climate is also suitable for alder. In Russia, alder grows in its European part.

The tree loves moist, drained soils and therefore alder can often be seen on the banks of rivers, lakes and other bodies of water. Wetlands are also suitable for this plant, as well as clay and poor soils, rocky and sandy.

Perfectly coexists with trees such as ash, birch, oak, linden and spruce. But it can also create its own thickets (alder). Where alder grows, the soil is enriched with nitrogen.

Pests and diseases

The use of black alder

Tree bark and cones have long been used in the medical field. An infusion on the bark is a good astringent and acts as an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. A decoction of the bark of the plant is excellent for constipation, can be a hemostatic agent and heals wounds well. The drug from the seedlings is used for problems of the stomach and intestines, this decoction has astringent and disinfectant properties. A tincture of leaves and bark expels bile from the body, relieves spasms and inflammation.

May be natural dye for wool and leather. Gives you the opportunity to get yellow as well as red and black. The cinnamon color comes from the buds. Alder is rightfully considered a honey plant. Bees, from the resinous substances of the leaves and buds of alder, produce propolis. Dry leaves of the tree can be fed to livestock.

Black alder wood itself is soft and light, but also fragile. It is used in carpentry and furniture business, used in the construction of hydraulic structures. It is a good material for drawers that can store food or household items. Coils and other products are also made from alder.

Also from this plant you can get wood vinegar and charcoal for painting, for this you need to perform dry distillation. Alder also takes part in the production of gunpowder. Trunks of even shape are used for hedges. The alder at furnace heating is irreplaceable. Thanks to her, earlier, they got rid of excess soot that accumulated in the furnace pipes. If you smoke fish on sawdust and alder shavings, you get a very tasty meal. The influxes on the trunks of an alder are beautiful decorative element decorations.

Botanical name: Black alder, or sticky alder, or European alder (Alnus glutinosa), a species of the Alder genus, Birch family.

Homeland of black alder: Europe.

Lighting: light-requiring, shade-tolerant.

The soil: moist, fertile.

Watering: abundant.

Maximum tree height: 35 m

Average lifespan of a tree: 100 years.

Landing: seeds.

What an alder tree looks like: description and photo

Black alder is a deciduous tree up to 35 m in height, often multi-stemmed. The bark is dark, gray-brown, becoming almost black with age.

The leaves are alternate, simple, entire, with pinnate venation and folded leaf structure. Kidneys with two scales, on legs. Shoots have a cylindrical shape, triangular, greenish core. The lenticels are oval and rounded.

The flowers are monoecious, collected in earrings. They bloom in April at the same time as the leaves bloom, sometimes after blooming. Earrings are laid during the entire growing season. Staminate catkins are laid within 5-6 months, starting from the middle of summer, pistillate - 1-2 months, from autumn. Male flowers are arranged in groups of 3 on thyroid-widened pedicels, have a simple perianth, four-leaved or four-notched. Women's are located in the axils of the scales in pairs.

The scales during the ripening period of the fruit become quite hard, forming a characteristic bump resembling. Propagated by stump shoots, seeds.

The fruit is a small cone, first green, then red-brown, with a leathery or membranous wing, may be wingless. Ripens in September-October. In winter, the cones hang closed, in March they begin to open, thereby releasing the seeds. Seeds are dispersed by the wind or, falling into the snow, are carried away with streams and spring waters when melting. You can see how the black alder tree looks like in the photo gallery below.

Spreading

The range of this plant covers Europe, except for its northern territories. It grows in North Africa, North Africa and Asia Minor. In Russia, it grows in the European part. Settles on moist, drained soils along the banks of rivers, streams and other bodies of water. Photophilous. It can grow on swampy, poor, sandy, stony, clay soils. Forms pure alder or mixed alder thickets. Grows next to ash, oak, spruce trees, birch, aspen, linden. Enriches the soil with nitrogen.

Pests and diseases

Black alder can be affected by pathogenic fungi of the genus Tafrina. Mushrooms infect women's earrings, causing leaf-like growths of their scales. Other types of fungus can infect the leaves of the tree, in which case they become mottled and wrinkled.

The use of black alder

In medicine, the bark and fruit of this tree are used. An infusion of the bark is used as an astringent, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial agent. A decoction of the bark is a hemostatic agent, used to heal wounds, treat constipation. A decoction of the fruit is used for diseases gastrointestinal tract, has disinfectant and astringent properties. The extract of the bark and leaves have anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and choleretic effects. The bark and earrings are rich in tannins. They are used as dyes for leather and wool. Give yellow, red, black colors. A brown dye is obtained from the kidneys.

The tree is a valuable honey plant. Resinous substances are secreted from alder buds and leaves, which serve bees to produce propolis. Dry leaves are fed to livestock. Alder wood is light and soft, but rather fragile. It is used in furniture and joinery production, as well as for hydraulic structures. It is used to make boxes for storing household items and foodstuffs, coils and other products. When dry distilled, wood vinegar and drawing charcoal are obtained from it. The wood is also used to make gunpowder. Smooth trunks are used as fence posts. Alder wood is considered a good heating oil. With their help, they used to burn out excess soot from chimneys. The sawdust and shavings of this tree are used for smoking fish. The influxes on the trunks have decorative value.

Alder - widespread deciduous tree or a shrub from the Birch family. The largest population is concentrated in temperate climate zone northern hemisphere. Separate types also found in South America and Asia. Alder grows in mixed deciduous forests on moist, well-drained soils. Prefers neighborhood with oak and beech. scientific name plants "Alnus" is translated - "by the shore". It is not surprising that most plants are found on the banks of fresh water bodies and rivers. The people also call the tree “Valkhal”, “Forester”, “Olekh”, “Yelshina”. Alder is famous for its wood and medicinal properties. It looks great on the site, used in traditional medicine and woodworking industry.

plant description

Alder is a perennial deciduous shrub or tree with a developed but superficial rhizome. Because of this, large varieties are often blown by the wind. Over time, small swellings form on the roots, filled with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Processing nitrogen from the atmosphere, alder very effectively saturates and enriches the soil with it. The shoots have a rounded section and are covered with a smooth grayish-brown bark. In places where new branches appear, horizontal wrinkles form. Triangular or heart-shaped lenticels are noticeable on the bark of young shoots.

Alder leaves are oval or obovate, with a wide, rounded end and serrated or wavy edges. The leaf surface is smooth, wrinkled between the veins. The foliage grows alternately on short petioles. Stipules fall early.

At the end of spring, same-sex flowers bloom on the alder. Stamens are concentrated at the ends of young shoots in long flexible inflorescences (catkins). They are red-brown or yellow-brown in color. Catkins with pistillate flowers are shorter and denser spikes at the bottom of the shoot. Flowering begins with the blooming of the leaves.

Pollination occurs with the help of wind. After it, fruits ripen - miniature cones with woody scales. Ripening is completed by mid-autumn. Inside each nut there is a single nut with wings (rarely without them). The valves of a mature cone open and the seeds spill out. The release process may be delayed until spring. The wind carries the seeds over fairly long distances, and spring streams complete the migration process for many kilometers from the mother plant.

Alder species

Today, 29 species of plants are assigned to the alder genus. However, scientists cannot yet come to a consensus, since the plant itself is prone to modification and hybridization, therefore, some species are classified as hybrid varieties of others.

The plant lives in temperate climate Western Asia, North Africa and throughout Europe. It is a tree up to 35 m in height, often with several trunks up to 90 cm in diameter. The branches perpendicular to the trunk form a dense pyramidal crown with a diameter of about 12 m. Max speed growth is achieved at the age of 5-10 years. Life cycle is 80-100 years old. Single specimens live up to 3 centuries. The developed rhizome is located in the upper layers of the soil and is covered with nodules. The leaves are almost round in shape with pinnate venation. Their length is 6-9 cm, and their width is 6-7 cm. In early spring, 4-7 cm long earrings bloom at the ends of the branches. They have a yellowish-brown color. Pistillate catkins are almost black, they grow on an elongated flexible stem and are 1.2-2 cm long and up to 1 cm wide. The fruits do not exceed 3 mm in length. In autumn, their flattened notched surface becomes wrinkled, reddish-brown.

very decorative and beautiful tree up to 20 m in height. Its trunk and branches are covered with almost smooth light gray bark, and young sprouts are dark red. At first, the green growth is densely pubescent, and then becomes bare. The ovate dark green leaves have a pointed edge and serrated sides. On the reverse side, the leaf plate is covered with reddish villi. Staminate inflorescences cast red-brown. Egg-shaped cones grow up to 15-25 mm in length.

An unpretentious spreading shrub or tree up to 20 m in height has a narrow ovoid crown. The cylindrical curved trunk reaches a width of 50 cm. Longitudinal outgrowths and depressions are clearly visible on it. Variety in early age grows very fast. The rhizome is located at a depth of up to 20 cm. The bark is dark gray, not sticky. The oval or lanceolate leaves have a smooth leathery surface above, and are densely covered with a silvery pile on the back. Their length is 4-10 cm, and their width is 3-7 cm. Flowering occurs in early spring, before the leaves bloom.

Alder wood

Alder is actively used in the woodworking and furniture industries. And although the wood of the plant is not distinguished by its high density and strength, it is popular for its lightness, resistance to decay and water. At a low cost, wood is quite light. It behaves well when dried (does not warp or crack). The advantage is the uniform color of the heartwood and sapwood.

Alder is used to make parts for wells, ships, interior decoration. It is with her that woodcarvers love to work. Thread spools and other small items are also made from this tree.

Alder firewood burns without excess soot and exudes a pleasant smell. This is the best material for a bath or cooking.

Reproduction methods

Alder is propagated by seeds, cuttings and root shoots. The most common is the seed method and especially self-sowing. By autumn, ripe cones begin to open and release seeds. During November-March, they fall into the ground and undergo natural stratification. After that, during the period of snow melting, the seeds are saturated with moisture and hatch. When planting, the seeds are embedded in the melted soil to a depth of 2.5-3 cm. In the first year, only a small sprout is formed and a rhizome develops. Gradually, the seedlings become stronger and quickly turn into a lush bush or a small tree. Every year it will add 50-100 cm in height.

Often young sprouts appear from the trunk. In just a year, their height can reach 1-1.5 m. In the spring, the offspring can be dug up and transplanted to a new place. It is recommended to save com old earth on the roots and do not let it dry out.

In spring and summer, cuttings 12-16 cm long are cut from young shoots. They are rooted immediately in open field. The best survival rate is shown by plants treated with a root formation stimulator. Cuttings need to be watered regularly. By autumn, the plants will take root and become strong enough to overwinter without shelter.

Landing and care rules

Alder is very unpretentious to the location and composition of the soil. It grows well in partial shade and in the open sun, on gummed loams and poor sandy soils. Thanks to its ability to enrich the earth with nitrogen, the alder itself will create a nutrient layer for itself and other representatives of the flora. The exception is black alder, which can grow normally only on nutritious and moist soil. It is suitable for ennobling and strengthening the coastal zone or beams, where groundwater comes close to the surface.

For planting, it is recommended to use soil with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. Lime, humus and fertilizer ("Kemira") are preliminarily introduced into the ground. Planting is best done during the growing season. A layer of drainage material (sand, gravel) is laid out at the bottom of the landing pit. Then straighten the roots and fill the free space with fertilized soil. The root neck should be flush with the surface. The earth is plentifully watered and tamped, and the surface is mulched with a layer of chopped straw, peat or wood chips.

Further care for the alder is practically not needed. In the year of planting, the plants must be watered more often, while avoiding stagnation of water in the upper layers of the soil. For better aeration of the roots, the earth is regularly loosened and weeds are removed. It is not necessary to wield the tool too deeply so as not to damage the roots.

Also in the first year, plants should be fed with compost or organic fertilizers. Since next year there is no need for this procedure.

On the eve of wintering, no special events need to be carried out, since alder is highly winter-hardy. She is not afraid of even harsh and snowless winters.

Medicinal properties

Alder can be called a useful and even healing plant, which has great benefits for human health. Cones, leaves, bark and roots contain tannins, flavonoids, minerals and vitamins. Alcoholic and aqueous infusions, as well as decoctions, are made from medicinal raw materials of black or gray alder. The drugs help with colds, bronchitis, irritations and ulcers on the skin, inflammation of the mucous membranes, bleeding. Alder has anti-inflammatory, astringent, hemostatic, expectorant effects.

A decoction of cones is drunk for colitis, dysentery, diarrhea, bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract, nose and mouth. They rinse their mouth with stomatitis and periodontitis. Root tinctures are recommended for women to normalize reproductive function and the menstrual cycle, to combat inflammation of the genital organs.

Usually preparations from alder have no contraindications, with the exception of allergic reaction. However, everything needs a measure, it is not recommended to abuse and exceed the recommended dosages, since certain components tend to accumulate in the body.

landscape use

The oval, openwork crown of an alder with moving branches and fluttering leaves looks very lively. Plants do not suffer from urban air pollution, so they can be planted along the road. As a hedge, low trees or lush shrubs up to 3 m high are usually used. They are planted in a tape way rather densely and regularly shaped.

Large single-trunk trees are used in single plantings or in groups on large area. They are planted along paths and alleys. Also, alder can be used in compositions of shrubs and trees, combining plants with different colors and structures of foliage.

Alder - inconspicuous in appearance, but completely unusual tree, a real harbinger of the coming spring. There is still snow everywhere, but it is already blooming. And only after flowering, young leaves begin to bloom at the alder.

Alder Description

Alder - flowering plant birch families. Alder blooms with monoecious flowers - fluffy catkins. Most species begin flowering in early spring, pollinated by the wind. But there are some interspecies differences. For example, seaside alder blooms in late autumn.

The trunk of this tree is mostly slender and covered with smooth bark. Alder leaves have a rounded shape; they do not change their color throughout the entire deciduous season. Even with the onset of a motley autumn palette, they remain green, falling off with the first frosts. Fallen leaves contain nitrogen in in large numbers therefore, falling, it enriches the earth with a useful mineral. Seeds ripen by the end of autumn, during this period their active flight begins and continues until spring.

Alder is able to take on various life forms depending on the habitat conditions. There are more than fifty species of trees and shrubs. The most widespread of them are two more common species: black alder (sticky) and gray alder (white).

Alder species

The alder tree in the photo is black (sticky) alder. It got its name because of its shiny sticky leaves and the black color of the bark of an adult tree. In Greek mythology, black alder is associated with the arrival of spring and the festival of fire.

Trees of this species grow rapidly and reach a height of more than 20 meters. Black alder is a solitary tree. Near it it is almost impossible to meet trees of other species.

The flowering of black alder begins in April. Fruits - cones with a narrow wing, ripen in late spring of the next year.

Alder sticky light and moisture-loving tree. It grows in very humid places, sometimes creating alder swamps.

Black alder in the photo is included in the Red Books of Moldova, some regions of Russia, Kazakhstan. This type of alder is planted along reservoirs, parks and alleys are greened.

Gray alder outwardly differs from its black "relative". The trunk of this tree is not straight, but slightly curved, with gray bark. The leaves are also grey. Blossoms with brownish earrings. But it is completely unpretentious and less demanding on growing conditions, but more photophilous.

She is able to live even on the poorest soils and wetlands. More frost and wind resistant. Rapidly propagated by seeds, cuttings, offspring of roots. It grows very actively, especially in young age, forming wild thickets. This property is used for forest reclamation purposes to secure the coastal part and slopes of ravines.

Alder application

• Alder does not have great strength, but has a uniform structure, light and soft wood, which makes it easier to work with. Based on these characteristics, alder has found its application in various industries. Due to the presence useful properties used for medical purposes.
• When drying alder wood, cracks do not form on the surface. Due to this quality, it is used in the manufacture of musical instruments.
• Due to its pliability, viscosity and softness, it is used as a material for artistic carving: sculptures are cut out, decorative panels and carved dishes are made. Artists use coals from alder wood in their work.
• Due to the beautiful shade after treatment with ammonia and drying oil, alder wood is used in the construction of decorative furniture and in carpentry.
• Being under the influence of water for a long time, alder wood acquires considerable strength, it is used to build wells, underwater structures and in the manufacture of barrels.

• Dyes for cloth and leather are obtained from the bark of black alder.
• Alder firewood burns beautifully and has a high heat dissipation. No wonder they are called "royal".
• In cooking, for smoking meat and fish, firewood and sawdust of this tree are used. In this case, alder firewood is superior in properties to all others.
• In folk medicine, alder cones and bark are widely used, containing tannins in large quantities. Decoctions from the bark and cones are taken in folk medicine as an astringent. Purulent wounds heal faster if young black alder leaves are applied. With diathesis and eczema, they drink a decoction of flowers collected at the beginning of flowering. For hemorrhoids and constipation, vodka infusion of alder earrings is used.
• Traditional medicine widely uses black alder leaves because of their content of proteins, carotene, vitamin C. A dry extract is produced from the cones - tchmelin, which is used for dysentery.

Alder does not look like a graceful tree at all. But in some of its properties, it is not inferior to birch and even oak. The alder is becoming more and more environmentally and nationally important.