Alder
Find out more about the alder tree below.
Alder
Scientific name: Alnus glutinosa
Family: Betulaceae
What3Words location: tigers.fresh.answer
Origin: native
Maximum height: 28 metres
Lives for: up to 60 years
Alder flowers are on catkins; the female catkins are oval and the male catkins are thinner. Both male and female flowers are found on the same tree, meaning alder is monoecious. In the past, the flowers were used to make a green dye that coloured the clothes of outlaws like Robin Hood. Alder is the only native deciduous tree (meaning it sheds its leaves) in Britain that has cone-like fruits.