Speckled Alder (Alnus incana susp. rugosa)

Speckled Alder is a tall shrub or small tree with multiple, crooked, leggy trunks. Bent in a wide curve at their base, the trunks become upright and picturesque. The trunk color ranges from gray to olive green to burgundy brown.  The leaves are highly textured, with deep wrinkles inspiring the "rugosa" part of its scientific name.  Its female catkins mature to small green cones which darken to brown and provide interest throughout the fall and winter months. 

This Adler’s native habitat is moist areas such as wetlands and stream edges. Because it is fast-growing, thicket-forming, and flood tolerant, it can provide erosion control along watercourses. Alders fix nitrogen and thus serve as nutrient-giving pioneers in reclamation projects.