Back to main Search Page

Alnus viridis crispa - (Aiton.)Turrill.

American Green Alder

Author	(Aiton.)Turrill.	Botanical references	11, 200, 270
Family	Betulaceae	Genus	Alnus
Synonyms	Alnus crispa - (Aiton.)Pursh. Betula crispa - Aiton.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Eastern N. America - Labrador to Alaska and Newfoundland and southwards.
Habitat	Rocky shores, slopes and mountains[43]. Singly or in thickets along streams, lakeshores, coasts, and bog or muskeg margins, or on sandy or gravelly slopes or flats, from sea level to 2000 metres[270].
Edibility Rating	1 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	2 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious Shrub growing to 3m by 3m.

The plant prefers medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist or wet soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Secondary; Bog Garden;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers.

Catkins - raw or cooked. A bitter taste[172].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Abortifacient; Appetizer; Astringent; Emetic; Emmenagogue; Haemostatic; Poultice; Skin; Stomachic; Tonic.

The bark is astringent, emetic, haemostatic, stomachic and tonic[172]. The bark was burnt as an inhalant in the treatment of rheumatism[257]. The ashes were also used as a tooth cleaner[257]. A decoction of the inner bark has been used as a carminative to reduce gas in the stomach and as a febrifuge[257]. A decoction of the plant has been used in a steam treatment to bring about menstruation - it has been used as an abortifacient[257]. A poultice of the leaves has been used to treat infected wounds or sores[257]. The poultice was left in place over the wound until the leaves stuck to it and was then pulled off, removing the 'poison' with it[257]. An infusion of the plant tops was given to children with poor appetites[257].

Other Uses

Dye; Teeth.

An orange-red to brown dye can be obtained from the bark[257].

Cultivation details

Prefers a heavy soil and a damp situation[1, 11]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. A useful plant for cold damp places[11]. Tolerates lime and very infertile sites[11, 200]. 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[200].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe and only just covered[200]. 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[78]. 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.

Links

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[172] Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest. 0
A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

[270] Flora of N. America 0
An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Add a comment/link:

Discussion Monitor

To have posts to this page mailed to you enter your email address here:

(Your email address will not appear on the webpage or be passed on to third parties).