Seaside Alder, Beach Alder
Alnus maritima
Family: Betulaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Purple, Red. Main Bloom Time: Early fall, Late fall, Mid fall. Form: Pyramidal, Rounded.
Alnus maritima is a deciduous Tree growing to 9 m (29ft 6in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7. It is in flower from September to October, and the seeds ripen in May. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in saline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.
Height (m): 9
Where it is found
Along edges of ponds and small streams, often in standing water; from sea level to 100 metres.
Eastern and Central N. America - Delaware, Maryland and Oklahoma.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
This species has the potential to be used as a biomass crop. Wood - light, soft, close-grained. Light brown in colour with thick, hardly distinguishable heartwood.
Biomass: Provides a large quantity of plant material that can be converted into fuel etc.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Erosion control, Massing. Prefers a heavy soil and a damp situation, but it succeeds in ordinary garden soil. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Tolerates very infertile sites. Trees are tolerant of frost, poor soil, and some salinity and water-logging. Seaside alder is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation in the range of 95 to 400cm, an average annual temperature of 13. 5 to 18°C, and a pH in the range of 6. 1 to 8. 1. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil micro-organisms, these form nodules on the roots of the plants and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby. Special Features: North American native, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is branching: a heart root, dividing from the crown into several primary roots going down and out .
Propagating it: Seed -
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Canopy; Secondary;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 3-7
Growth: Medium
Soil: Medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist, wet