Alnus crispa - Medicinal Herbs,Shrub - Mountain Alder Page

Introducing Alnus crispa (also goes by Alnus viridus var. crispa) - Mountain Alder - a vital player in nature's reclamation projects due to its admirable nitrogen-fixing ability. Widespread in Alaska, Territorial Yukon, interior Canada, and regions of the mainland US, this humble shrub facilitates soil fertility with its organic matter contribution. Enhancing soil quality, it provides between 18-55 pounds of nitrogen per acre yearly, supporting the growth of decomposer species in the soil. Stand tall beside this 3-13 feet shrub that rewards you with a spectacle of yellow-green male catkins before its oval, alternate leaves fully bloom. Even in harsh winter, its female flowers, fashioned like small cones, persist in adding a touch of beauty. Mountain Alder blankets the landscape with dense thickets, providing refuge to a myriad of wildlife species. It offers essential nesting, feeding, and rest spots for birds, while serving as an indispensable hideout for other game animals. Its broad, sharply toothed leaves come with a shiny yellow-green upper surface and pale underside. Fruits of this plant mimic tiny cones, changing color from yellow to brown as they mature. Mountain Alder is not only of ecological significance, but carries historical import too, with Native Americans using its astringent bark for medicinal purposes, textile dying and leather tanning, cementing its myriad roles in our ecosystem.