Plant Family: Betulaceae
Growth Form: Thicket forming shrub usually no taller than 5 meters.
Leaves: Alternate, simple, ovate to nearly round, coarsely toothed, rough to the touch, leaf base rounded.
Bark: Dark gray or brown with prominent raised lenticels.
Flowers: The male catkins form in late summer and mature the following year; female catkins develop in spring and ultimately form the fruits.
Fruits: Green, cone-like, ripening to brown and dispersing the tiny, winged seeds.
Habitat: Common along streams, swamp openings, bog edges, shores; also on drier sites such as old fields and pastures, requires full sun.
Range: Found in every county in New England, west to the Great Lakes and north in Canada to the tree line.
Similar Species: The bark of Smooth Alder has fewer lenticels, the leaves are more finely toothed, and new leaves are marked by a sticky resin.
Comments: In the boreal forest Speckled Alder often associates with Black Spruce. Ruffed grouse feed on the buds, deer and moose browse the leaves and twigs.
