Sitka alder
- Latin name: Alnus viridis ssp. sinuata (Regel) A. Löve et D. Löve
- French name: Aulne de Sitka
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Taxonomic Serial Number: 181895
19476 [syn. A. sinuata (Regel) Rydb.]
Description
Leaves
Form
- Broadly oval, thin
- Resinous and fragrant when young
- Mostly hairless
- Base broad, often asymmetrical
- 6–8 veins per side
- Veinlets irregularly branched
Length
- 7–15 cm
Colour
- Shiny, deep yellowish-green
Margin
- Teeth sharp, gland-tipped, of 2 sizes, none near the petiole
- Each vein ends in a large tooth
Buds
Form
- Curved, sharp-pointed, stalkless
- 3–5 overlapping scales
- Usually arranged in 2 ranks along the twig
- Leaf scars raised, crowded along the twig
Length
- 12–14 mm
Colour
- Purplish-brown
Twigs
Form
- Slender, sticky when young
- Dwarf shoots may develop
Colour
- Light reddish-brown or yellowish-brown with pale lenticels
Flowers
Form
- Pollen catkins stalkless, in pairs
- Seed catkins enclosed in a bud in winter
Length
- About 1 cm in winter, 10–14 cm at pollination
Timing
- Open with the leaves
Stucture
- Monoecious
Fruits
Form
- Several mature seed catkins in an erect cluster
Length
- 12–20 mm with equally long stalks
Width
- Nutlet about the same width as wings
Bark
Form
- Smooth with long horizontal lenticels
Colour
- Reddish- to greyish-brown
Size
Height
- To 15 m
Diameter
- To 20 cm
Tree form
Forest-grown
Trunk
- Slender
Crown
- Open, with short horizontal branches
Root system
- Shallow
Habitat
Site
- Cool moist sites in the mountains
- Often where landslides have created openings
Range
From the Pacific Coast to the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains
Photos
Photos
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
-
Ceanothus silk moth
Scientific name: Hyalophora euryalis (Walker)
- Eulithis destinata (Moesch)
- Eupithecia subfuscata (Haworth)
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Northern tent caterpillar
Scientific name: Malacosoma californicum pluviale (Dyar)
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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).
- Pristiphora leechi Wong and Ross
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White slaut
Scientific name: Tetracis cachexiata (Guenée)
-
Whitetriangle leafroller
Scientific name: Clepsis persicana (Fitch)
Roots, bark, stem or trunk, or branches
Distribution map
