Speckled alder

This small tree or large shrub may reach up to 6 m tall. It grows in clumps, often forming dense thickets.

The twisted, curved trunk at the base is covered with smooth, reddish-brown bark. This bark is marked with numerous orange lenticels—small pores that allow the inner tissues to breathe.

The leaves alternate along the branches. They are thick, pleated, and doubly toothed. The upper surface is dark green and slightly glossy, while the underside is whitish and somewhat hairy along the veins.

The flowers of the speckled alder are clustered in catkins. The male catkins are long and drooping, while the female ones are small and erect.

The fruit is cinnamon brown, round, flattened and narrow-winged. It is borne in pairs on each of the scales on the female catkins. The mature catkins are dry, hard and dark brown. They generally resemble cones of conifers and stay on the branches all winter.