Alnus Incana
Commonly known as the Grey ElderAlnus Incana, or the Grey Elder, is a perennial dicot tree characterized by several trunks and a rounded crown. This name comes from the numerous white lenticels common to the bark of older trees. These plants are characterized by many unique traits, allowing for quick classification and determination of taxa. Simple, oval, doubly serrated leaves couple with the monoecious flowers which open in early spring. Cone-like fruit, which is brown when ripe matures in late summer and is persistent. Bark and Twigs are gray-brown to reddish brown color that is so strong and rich that North American Native Americans used powdered bark derived from this plant to create a red dye used throughout their culture.
This plant is native to North America, with common bands throughout the Great Basin area, as well as throughout the rocky mountain area. This family of birch trees typically exists and flourishes between 1240 and 2730 meters. It typically forms in thickets, and reaches 25 feet in height on a regular basis, with larger trees reaching 40 feet in height.
