Stats

Lifespan: 50-100 yrs
Size: Large
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Freshwater wetland
Range: North America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Uncommon

About

White alder is a fast-growing riparian tree native to California and Oregon that thrives along stream banks and rivers, where its root nodules fix atmospheric nitrogen and help enrich the surrounding soil. Its diamond-shaped leaves and pendulous catkins make it a keystone species of California's waterway ecosystems.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fagales
Family: Betulaceae
Genus: Alnus
Species: Alnus rhombifolia