Speckled alder
- Latin name: Alnus incana ssp. rugosa (Du Roi) J. Clausen
- French name: Aulne rugueux
- Synonym(s): Gray alder hoary alder , tag alder
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Taxonomic Serial Number: 181888
19475 [syn. A. rugosa (Du Roi) Spreng.]
Description
Leaves
Form
- Oval, thick-textured, not sticky
- Upper surface wrinkled, veins deeply impressed
- Lower surface hairy, prominent veins
- Veinlets forming a ladder-like pattern
- Considerable leaf-fall during the summer
Length
- 5–10 cm
Colour
- Upper surface dull green
- Veins on lower surface brownish-red
Margin
- Double-toothed
Buds
Form
- Blunt, stalked, with 2 or 3 scales that meet along their edges
- Arranged in 3 ranks along the twig
Colour
- Dark reddish-brown
Twigs
Form
- Moderately slender
Colour
- Brown
Flowers
Form
- Immature seed catkins visible in winter
Length
- Pollen catkins 1–2.5 cm in winter, 5–8 cm at pollination
- Immature seed catkins 2–5 mm
Structure
- Monoecious
Fruits
Form
- Mature seed catkins ovoid to globular, short-stalked
- In pendulous clusters
- Nutlets very narrow-winged
Length
- Mature seed catkins 13–16 mm
Bark
Form
- Smooth
Colour
- Reddish-brown with conspicuous horizontal orange lenticels
Size
Height
- To 8 m
Diameter
- To 12 cm
Tree form
Forest-grown
Trunk
- Clumped, crooked
Habitat
Site
- Moist sites such as stream banks and swamps
Light tolerance
- Intolerant of shade
Associated species
- Often mixed with black spruce or eastern white-cedar
Range
Newfoundland and northeastern Quebec, south to Lake Erie, westward to central British Columbia, and northern Yukon
Photos
Photos
Derek Johnson
Insects and mites
Insects that cause damage to this tree.
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Poplar-and-willow borer
Scientific name: Cryptorhynchus lapathi (Linnaeus).
Foliage or buds
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Ceanothus silk moth
Scientific name: Hyalophora euryalis (Walker)
- Eulithis destinata (Moesch)
- Eupithecia subfuscata (Haworth)
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Fall webworm
Scientific name: Hyphantria cunea (Drury)
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Pero moth
Scientific name: Pero morrisonaria (Hy. Edwards)
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Poplar-and-willow borer
Scientific name: Cryptorhynchus lapathi (Linnaeus).
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Whitetriangle leafroller
Scientific name: Clepsis persicana (Fitch)
Roots, bark, stem or trunk, or branches
Distribution map
