Alnus glutinosa (Common Alder)
| Price £ each (ex. VAT) | ||||
| Height | Age | 25+ | 100+ | 500+ |
| 40-60cm | 1+0 | 0.47 | 0.27 | 0.22 |
| 40-60cm | 1+1 | 0.64 | 0.38 | 0.33 |
| 60-80cm | 1+0 | 0.56 | 0.32 | 0.27 |
| 60-80cm | 1+1 | 0.69 | 0.42 | 0.37 |
| 80-100cm | 1+1 | 0.91 | 0.52 | 0.47 |
| 150-175cm | 1+2 | 5.95 | 3.50 | 2.95 |
Delivery
Bareroot from November to April
Prices
The prices above are offered as a guide and may be subject to fluctuation dependant upon the time of season and supply. We recommend that contact is made with the office for larger orders, a quotation and to check availability Alternatively please contact us to enquire about opening a wholesale account.
A fast-growing, medium-sized native tree found all over Britain, especially in wet places. Very hardy and coping with a wide range of soil types, Alder is particularly useful for preventing soil erosion, and for establishing plantings in waterlogged areas. Young plants are seldom attacked by rabbits or stock, so makes a good choice where this could be a problem.
Site and soil
Alder tolerates a wide range of soils and situations, except very dry conditions. It will grow well on damp hillsides and in boggy, waterlogged sites.
Height and spread
After 10 years: 8m x 2.5m
After 20 years: 9m x 3.7m
Leaf and bark
The leaves are ovate, and glossy dark green, and deeply lobed, rather like an oak, and about 5cm long. The bark is a greyish dark brown, cracked into thin rectangular plates.
Flower, seed and fruit
The five-petalled creamy white flowers are borne in flat clusters of 6-12. They are strongly scented. These are followed by greenish berries, or haws, which ripen to red by September and are held on the tree well into winter to provide a good food source for birds. Each haw contains a single seed.
Uses
Coppicing, hedging, specimen tree. Alder wood has the property of withstanding constant wetting and drying out, and for this reason was much used in the past for lock gates, mill wheels and troughs. It has also been used for clog-making and furniture, as well as for smaller items. Both the leaves and the bark were used in dye-making, and the tree has several medicinal uses too.
Wildlife
Alder fruits (false cones) are a useful source of food for birds in spring. The catkins are an early source of pollen and the trees provide shelter on wetland sites.
Pruning
Alder hedges should be trimmed in July and August.
