Day 15 Alder i will or I won't

.8 miles, clear and cold 20s. snow cover 5 inches. Crow heard but the only bird.

Gray alder grows all over the Northern Hemisphere. The subspecies here is speckled alder, sp rugosa.

Alnus incana is a light-demanding, fast-growing tree that grows well on poorer soils. In central Europe, it is a colonist of alluvial land alongside mountain brooks and streams, occurring at elevations up to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). However, it does not require moist soil, and will also colonize screes and shallow stony slopes. In the northern part of its range, it is a common tree species at sea level in forests, abandoned fields and on lakeshores. Several species of Lepidoptera use grey alder as a food plant for their caterpillars. See List of Lepidoptera that feed on alders. In the boreal forest area of Canada, A. incana is often associated with black spruce in the forest type termed black spruce–speckled alder.[7] The larvae of the alder woolly sawfly sometimes cause considerable defoliation to the grey alder.[8]

A. rugosa provides cover for wildlife, is browsed by deer and moose, and the seeds are eaten by birds.
Though the write up says it is a tree, I am seeing multiple stem large bushes about 20 feet,

Continuing study of alders and birches. More than meets the eye. Was able to get both male and female seed heads today on my walk.

Posted on February 12, 2021 05:28 PM by mainebirder