American Green Alder (Alnus viridis crispa)
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −34.4 °C
Cultivation
Prefers a heavy soil and a damp situation. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil micro-organisms, these form nodules on the roots of the plants and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.
Propagation
Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe and only just covered. Spring sown seed should also germinate successfully so long as it is not covered[200, K]. The seed should germinate in the spring as the weather warms up. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots. If growth is sufficient, it is possible to plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer, otherwise keep them in pots outdoors and plant them out in the spring. If you have sufficient quantity of seed, it can be sown thinly in an outdoor seed bed in the spring. The seedlings can either be planted out into their permanent positions in the autumn/winter, or they can be allowed to grow on in the seed bed for a further season before planting them. Cuttings of mature wood, taken as soon as the leaves fall in autumn, outdoors in sandy soil.
Edible uses
Catkins - raw or cooked. A bitter taste.
Medicinal uses
The bark is astringent, emetic, haemostatic, stomachic and tonic. A decoction of the inner bark has been used as a carminative to reduce gas in the stomach and as a febrifuge. A decoction of the plant has been used in a steam treatment to bring about menstruation - it has been used as an abortifacient. A poultice of the leaves has been used to treat infected wounds or sores. An infusion of the plant tops was given to children with poor appetites.
Material uses
An orange-red to brown dye can be obtained from the bark.
Habitat
Rocky shores, slopes and mountains.
Native range
Eastern N. America - Labrador to Alaska and Newfoundland and southwards.