Sitka alder – Alnus sinuata

Pronunciation: al’-nus sin-you'-ah-ta

Leaf: Broadly oval, 1 - 5 in. long, shiny above, wavy and finely toothed on the margins, and slightly scented and sticky beneath when young.

Bud: sessile on new growth, up to ½" long, sharply acute and covered with 3 - 6 brownish-red to purple overlapping scales.

Stem: Twigs form a zigzag branch pattern.

Bark: smooth and gray.

Flower: Male flowers are in the form of long catkins that begin opening in late winter. Found separately on the same plant are the female flowers which are cone-like (short catkins called strobili) and bloom in early spring when the leaves appear.

Fruit: The seeds are winged nutlets that mature in autumn or early winter within the egg shaped woody cones.

Habit: a deciduous shrub or small tree that grows to height of 3 - 20 ft, occasionally taller. The form is upright, multi-stemmed, and freely branching at the base with a rounded crown.

Other: Nodules containing nitrogen fixing bacteria form on the strong fibrous roots.

Alnus viridis ssp. sinuata - Sitka alder Latin name for alder / green (leaves)