What is the difference between alder and elder trees?

What is the difference between alder and elder trees?

It grows faster than the common alder and can reach 100ft tall. ... Alders may be an acquired taste in the garden, but the elder is much more common. Like the alder, it is by no means glamorous, being a scruffy, shrubby kind of tree, but it has real magic.

How long can alder trees live?

Alder trees grow in a conical shape. Conical in shape, mature trees can reach a height of around 28m and live to approximately 60 years.

Do alder trees have deep roots?

Alder usually has a spreading fibrous root system when young and can root deeply if soil aeration is not limiting. When grown in dense stands, its shade intolerance results in rapid mortality of shaded stems and lower branches.

How long does a alder tree live?

approximately 60 years Alder trees grow in a conical shape. You'll often find alder growing on moist ground near rivers, ponds and lakes. Mature trees can reach a height of around 28m. Alder can live to approximately 60 years.

How do I know if my alder tree is dying?

Check the trunk for peeling bark, cracks or splits. Look up into the canopy for hanging branches or missing leaves. Taken together, these signs point to a dead tree. If your tree failed the scratch test and you see one or more of these signs, call your arborist as soon as possible to look and remove it if necessary.

Can you grow Alder in a small garden?

Alders can grow fast as long as they are happy in the location they have been placed in and receive enough water to sustain them, though they will never grow to excessive size so will be fine in some even moderately sized gardens. Why grow alder in your garden? Alder is a spectacularly useful tree.

How tall does an alder tree grow in Scotland?

Alder is a member of the birch family of trees, Betulaceae. It can reach 30 metres in height, although in Scotland it is rarely more than 20 metres tall. Like the birches, it is a pioneer species which grows quickly and is relatively short-lived.

When is the best time to plant an alder tree?

Alder Tree is a deciduous native tree used in plantations and also commonly used for protection from the weather in shelter belts. Alder have catkins which make them very attractive in late spring. Alder are a very fast growing tree that can thrive in wet conditions.

What kind of habitat does an alder tree live in?

Its natural habitat is moist ground near rivers, ponds and lakes and it thrives in damp, cool areas such as marshes, wet woodland and streams where its roots help to prevent soil erosion. It can also grow in drier locations and sometimes occurs in mixed woodland and on forest edges. It grows well from seed and will quickly colonise bare ground.