Europe, northern Africa, western Asia
Deciduous tree 40-60 feet tall and 20-40 feet wide with a narrow to pyramidal crown, sometimes with multiple trunks. The leaves are up to 4" long, glossy green, oval to round with a doubly-toothed margin. Catkins in early spring and cone-like fruits (3/4" long) forming in fall are distinctive traits.
This tree was brought from Europe to the East Coast by early colonists and has naturalized in much of eastern North America, particularly along streams and in wet places. It has been planted as an ornamental and also used for stream bank stabilization and erosion control. Alnus glutinosa has the ability to fix nitrogen in the soil, making it highly adaptable to a wide range of sites from infertile and dry soils to swampy areas.