hazel alder Betulaceae Alnus serrulata (Aiton) Willd. symbol: ALSE2 Leaf: Alternate, simple, obovate to elliptical, 2 to 4 inches long, pinnately-veined, finely serrated wavy margin, dark green above, paler and finely hairy beneath. Flower: Species is monoecious; both males and females preformed; males green brown catkins, 1 to 1 1/2 inches; female 1/2 inch long, reddish, opening in early spring. Fruit: Woody, cone like catkin, 1/2 inch long, dark brown with each scale enclosing a tiny, winged seed. Fruit ripens in fall and is very persistant. Twig: Reddish brown with gray fuzz, 3-angled pith; buds are stalked, plump, covered in 2 to 3 red-purple scales, resemble a match head. Bark: Thin, gray to brown and smooth, trunk fluted. Form: A multi-stemmed small tree or large shrub with several twisted stems reaching up to 15 feet tall. Looks like: speckled alder - European black alder - beaked hazel - hornbeam Additional Range Information: Alnus serrulata is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting hazel alder. External Links: USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2014, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson