Spaeth’s Alder

A hybrid between the Japanese and Caucasian alders, bred at the Spaeth Nursery in Berlin, Alnus x spaethii is a medium-sized, fast-growing, deciduous, clear-stem tree with a rather open, broad, pyramidal habit and grey bark. The rather long, elliptical, slightly serrated, cherry-like leaves emerge tinged with purple, and turn bright green, fading to violet-red in autumn. In spring this tree bears a prolific display of brownish-yellow catkins, attractive to bees, which are followed by greenish, then dark violet-brown cones in autumn. Spaeth’s Alder will withstand drought once established, but will also survive short- and long-term flooding, paving and urban pollution, and a coastal site – in short, a very good do-er!

Site: Tolerates exposure, including coastal exposure
Soil: Any fertile, moist but well-drained soil; tolerates wet soils and flooding
Position: Full sun to light shade – needs an open position
Season of interest: Spring to early summer, autumn
Hardiness: Fully Hardy
Height: up to 65’ (20m) Spread: up to 49’ (15m) in 10-20 years, often smaller

Photos by Sten and Jasper Haster, cropped, and licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.