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Black Alder (Alnus glutinosa) is an alder tree native to most of Europe, including all of Britain.

The Black Alder thrives best in moist soils, and grows under favourable circumstances to a height of 20-30m, though often less. It is characterized by its 5-10cm short-stalked rounded leaves, becoming wedge-shaped at the base and with a slightly toothed margin. When young they are somewhat glutinous, whence the specific name, becoming later a dark olive green. As with some other plants growing near water it keeps its leaves longer than do trees in drier situations, the glossy green foliage lasting after other trees have put on the red or brown of autumn, which renders it valuable for landscape effect.

The slender cylindrical male catkins are pendulous, reddish in colour and 5-10cm long; the female are smaller, 2cm in length and dark brown to black in colour, hard, somewhat woody, and superficially similar to some conifer cones. When the small winged seeds have been scattered the ripe, woody, blackish cones remain, often lasting through the winter. The alder is readily propagated by seeds, but throws up root-suckers abundantly.

1 Uses

It is important as coppice-wood on marshy ground. The wood is soft, white when first cut and turning to pale red; the knots are beautifully mottled. Under water the wood is very durable, and it is therefore used for piles. The supports of the Rialto at Venice, and many buildings at AmsterdamMunicipality of Amsterdam St Andrew's crosses are taken to represent these (though the crosses are even older than the motto). A popular tradition links the X's to the three threats to the city: Water, Fire and Pestilence. Alternate meanings: See Amsterda, are of Alder-wood. It is also the traditional wood burnt to produce smokedSmoking is the process of curing, cooking, or seasoning food by exposing it for long periods of time to the smoke from a wood fire. Hot smoking" is a several-hours-long process that can be used to fully cook raw meats or fish, while " cold smoking" is an fish and other smoked foods, though in some areas other woods are more often used now. Furniture is sometimes made from the wood, and it supplies excellent charcoal for gunpowder. The bark is astringent; it is used for tanningTanning is the process of making leather from skin. This is commonly done with the acidic compound tannin, which prevents normal decomposition and often imparts color. Process The process of dressing up animal skin/hide into leather consists of three stag and dyeA dye can generally be described as a coloured substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is usually used as an aqueous solution and may require a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fibre. In contring.