This is an excerpt from my tree encyclopedia, about Alder which is personally my favorite tree along with Willow. I thought some people may find it interesting or helpful.
ALDER
Uses
•The catkins (flowers) can be eaten for survival purposes.
•The charcoal can be used as an ingredient in gunpowder.
•The trunk is used for firewood when smoking game and fish.
•The wood is ideal to use in bridges and troughs, because of it's waterproof properties.
•Red dye can be made from the bark.
•Green dye can be made from the leaves.
•Brown dye can be made from the twigs.
•The wood can be used for making furniture and cabinets.
Magick
courage, banish nervousness and anxiety, wealth, career opportunities, good financial fortune, bravery, growth, spiritual developement, charisma, confidence, self journey, strength, determination,charisma, leadership
•The trees are thought to be a doorway to fairy realms. Their dense branches can be used as pathways to communicate with pixies and fay.
•Carrying an alder twig while taking trips by boat or ship can bring protection from harsh waters and promote good sense of direction.
•It brings bad luck to handle alder wood with the thoughts of death.
•The wood can be made into flutes, pipes, and whistles that can be used to call on wind spirits.
•Divining rods from the wood can be used to make it rain and banish drought.
Associations:
Fox, Masculine Energy, Bran, Neptune, Water, Fire, Phoroneus
Medical
•Heating the leaves in a bag and then holding it to your joints can help relieve pain.
•Tea made from the dried bark can help with inflimation and a sore throat.
•Placing the leaves in your shoes can help ease foot pain while hiking.
•Chewing on one raw leaf can alleviate stomache pain.
•Boiled alder leaves can be placed on insect stings to reduce swelling.
•Boiling the bark and adding the water to a bath can can help with body aches or chicken pox.
Species
Common Alder
Zone: 3-7
Habitat: damp or wet soils, moist woodlands, riversides, swamps, tolerate poor soils
Identification: Grows to a large sized shrub with round green leaves and oval shaped lenticels or "tears" in the bark. The leaves have a bit of a ragged edge that looks similar to torn paper. They also often times curve in at the end of the leaf like a heart. They have horizontal symmetrical viens going out from both sides of the center vien of the leaf. They have long yellow-brown catkins and small red clusters of cones (that look like small pine cones) that harden when pollinated.
Mountain Alder
Zone: 2-6
Habitat: moist nutrient-rich soils, in forests along streams, bogs, near willow trees
Identification: A small tree that tends to grow in clusters. They have leaves similar to the common alder, but with a point at the end and they tend to be rounder. The viens going through the leaf also often times have a bit of a whiter tint to them. The front of the leaf is green, the back is lighter with a hairy surface. Has catkins and cones just like common alder. Has yellow-brown bark with oval shaped tears in the bark.
Red Alder
Zone: 2-6
Habitat: grows after disturbances, full sun areas, wet soils
Identification: Small tree with white bark. They do share the common alder's "tears" but they tend to be sparcer and a bit bigger in size. Younger trees have a greenish-brown bark with white tears. More than often this tree will house lichens. Leaves are very similar to the common alder, with a slightly more oval shape.
Siberian Alder
Zone: 3-7
Habitat: swamps, bogs, wet soils with long winters, near streams
Identification: A small sized tree that has brownish-gray bark with the typical alder "tears" (oval like scars) and catkins and cones. Leaves are similar in comparison to the common alder, but are more vibrantly green. The leaves also seem to be rounder and wider than the common alder.
Sitka Alder (Green Alder)
Zone: 4-7
Habitat: near willows, rocky soils, river gravels, stony slopes, mountains, tracks of avalanches
Identification: Sharing leaves practically identical to the common alder this alder is differentiated by it's whitish bark and white female cones. The male catkins are long and yellowish in color. The leaves turn to a purple color in fall.
Speckled Alder
Zone: 2-6
Habitat: acedic soils, in dense forest areas with other trees and shrubs, bogs, swamps, tundra
Identification: Practically identical to the common alder, but with very distinct white "tears" in the bark. These tears are small, but very thick on the bark and also appear on the branches- where as only on the trunks of other alders. The bark is a rusty-brown color and branches tend to grow very thick with this kind of alder.
