grey alder
Alnus incana
USDA zones2 to 6
SunHandles full sun to full shade
WaterHandles moderate to wet soil
Size40 to 60 feet tall30 to 50 feet wide
- Habit
- Shrub , tree
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Bloom color
- Purplish-brown (male) and green (female)
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil pH
- Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Grey alder (Alnus incana) is a tree for woodland planting. It is hardy to USDA zone 2, or down to -50°F (-46°C). This plant likes full sun to full shade and average to wet soil. It grows fast and handles flooding well, but it is short-lived. Its roots carry nitrogen-fixing nodules, so it can enrich poor ground. It can form thickets, so give it room.
Pairs well with Sweetgale, Mountain ash, Twinflower, and Rush.
Native range
Europe and Caucasus.