Common Alder (Noun)
Meaning
Medium-sized tree with brown-black bark and woody fruiting catkins; leaves are hairy beneath.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The common alder is a medium-sized tree that grows along rivers and streams in northern Europe.
- It has brown-black bark that becomes more deeply furrowed with age, and its leaves are hairy beneath.
- In autumn, the common alder produces woody fruiting catkins, known as alder cones, that resemble small pine cones.
- The tree's branches are often covered with a fine, white lichen known as "alder felt", which is composed of hairs from its own leaves.
- In wetlands, the common alder can be a pioneering species, helping to stabilize the soil with its root system and providing shade with its canopy.