Special
Leaves
Older leaves are rounded and exhibit a ‘notched’ rather than a pointed tip. In the autumn, the leaves tend to turn brown and dry before falling.
Flowers
The male flower is a long catkin (about 5-10cm) and turns yellow as it sheds its pollen. The female flower is a very small catkin, purple in colour (at the top of the picture) and will eventually turn into the cone that contains the seeds.
Fruits
The seeds, or nutlets, are flat and waxy and have two corky wings containing air bubbles, which allows them to float and to be carried away by water. The cones often remain on the tree during the wintertime, long after the seeds are gone.
Bark
Habitat
The roots of the alder often help to stabilise the riverbank and prevent the soil from being washed away. This ensures that riverbanks and lake sides provide many different habitats and, therefore, support a wide diversity of other life. They provide home for otters and kingfishers, for example.