NEN Gallery

This picture shows the male catkins starting to open to spread their pollen. The smaller female catkins are above. The female catkins stay on the tree long after the seeds have been shed as cones. This time of year the tree can look full, even though no leaves are present, as it bears male and female catkins and old cones. The Alder is a common waterside tree. It can reach 20 meters. The bark is grey brown with shallow fissures and in spring it produces rounded leaved, often with a slight indent at the tip. Mature trees have open slightly straggly crowns. Picture taken 17th February 2006.