| Species: | Alnus incana |
| Common name and alpha code | mountain alder ALIN2 (was Alnus tenuifolia) |
| Propagation Method (Seed, Vegetative) | Seed 51 |
| Miscellaneous
|
Betulaceae; birch family Used by Native Americans as astringent and a tonic, a vegetable coloring, basketry and cordage 160. |
| TABLE: | SEED |
| Seeds/Lb.
|
675,000 cleaned, air dried. Yield of cleaned seed per 100 lbs. of catkins: 7 lbs. fresh, 13 lbs. air dried. Yield of cleaned seed per bushel of catkins: 1 lb. fresh, 0.8 air dried. 129 |
| Germ %
|
Low seed viability. Mineral soil
seedbed preferred 187 Germination capacity of fresh seeds of A. incana was 4%, and equally good for stratified and nonstratified seed. 129 |
| Germ Test Amt | Germination test conditions: 86oF day (8 hrs), 68o F night (16 hrs) for 26 days. 129 |
| Germ Test Cost | |
| Purity % | Quality of alder seed usually low because of difficulty in separating out empty seeds. Soundness in most lots of cleaned seed has been 30-70%.129 |
| Purity Test Amt | |
| Purity Test Cost | |
| Germination Pretreatment Requirement
|
No treatment or chilling required
187. If the seeds of some alders are dried to a moisture content of 8-9 % they become dormant. This dormancy can be broken by cool-moist stratification at 41o for 180 days. 145 Germination capacity of some species of dried seed after stratification was higher than that of fresh seed. Maximum germination capacity was obtained only when the stratification period was followed by a 3-day period at –4oF. 129 Fresh seeds will germinate without stratification. Stratify dried seed for 180 days at 5oC. 98 |
| Seed Processing Needed e.g. Awns | |
| Storage Requirements |
Air-dried seeds have been stored
in sealed containers at 34-38oF. Viability was maintained for 2 years in A.
glutinosa seeds and for 10 years in A. rugosa. 129 Store for up to 10 years in sealed containers at 1-3oC. 98 |
| Storage Length (Years) |
|
| Maturity Date | Fruit ripens from Sept-Nov, seed dispersed during fall and winter. Seed crop produced every 1-4 years. 98 |
| Pollinators | |
| Seed Dispersal Mechanism | Wind, water 187. |
| Breeding: self; Cross; Asexual Reproduction | |
| Disease Problems | |
| Insect Predation | |
| Hand Collection Methods, Problems and Cost/Lb. | Flowers March-April, ripe fruit Aug-Sept. Catkins may be collected when bracts start to separate on the earliest catkin. They will open after drying in a well-ventilated room for several weeks at ambient air temperature. They can be opened in a shorter time by drying in a kiln at 80o-100oF. Most of the seeds fall out during drying. The remainder may be extracted by shaking or tumbling. 129 |
| TABLE: | SEED INCREASE INFO |
| Sow Rate for Seed Increase Plantation, Lb./Acre | |
| 1st Year Yield, Lb./acre | |
| 2nd Year Yield, Lb./acre | |
| Field Life Span: Years | |
| Production Cost/Lb. | |
| Field Distance Requirements | |
| Sow Date | |
| Miscellaneous Increase Info. | |
| TABLE: | VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION |
| Type of
Material (Age, Plant Part, Etc.) |
Five-week-old shoots; hardwood cuttings 200 |
| Size of Material to Collect | |
| Season of Collection | |
| Collection Method | |
| To Nursery: Storage and Shipping Requirements | |
| Miscellaneous
Vegetative Propagation Info.
|
Basal sprouts,
layering; may form clones 187. Exposed thinleaf alder roots in streams will sprout and submerged branches sometimes form adventitious roots. Can sprout from root collar or stump if damaged. 98 Rooting success can be nearly 100% with 5-week-old shoots of A. incana (Huss-Danell et al. 1980). A maximum number (76%) of hardwood cuttings rooted when the basal end was treated with a concentrated solution of 2,000 ppm IBA/1,000 ppm NAA and placed in cold storage at 1-3oC for 1 month. Untreated cuttings had a rooting success of 11%. Rooting success was also achieved with cold storage alone. 200 |
| TABLE: | NURSERY PRODUCTION (See also J. H. Stone Nursery Desk Guide, reference # 185) |
| Nursery Stock Type; Container Size | Bareroot or container 51 |
| Cost/1,000 | Bareroot: |
| Number of Growing Seasons | 1-0 ship 185 |
| Grow Specifications | Height range: 3 – 20 in.; minimum caliper: 3 mm 185 |
| Miscellaneous Nursery Production Info. | Spring sowing works best and outplanting is usually done with 1-0 stock. 98 |
| TABLE: | HABITAT |
| Plant Association Groups
|
Grand fir series; indicates
seepages and areas of high water table. Prevalent along streams and meadow margins at
lower montane elevations 160. The most widely distributed alder in western North America; the most common alder of the Rocky Mtn., the Sierra Nevada, and the east side of the Cascades. From central Alaska and the Yukon Territory to western Saskatchewan and British Columbia, to New Mexico and California. Typically found near streams, rivers, or springs of moist mountain slopes. 98 |
| Drought Tolerance | Alders need permanently moist gravel to thrive 122 |
| Soil: Texture, Chemicals | Nitrogen-fixing 160 Typically
grows on alluvial and other moist soils, generally near streams or on lake shores. 153
Soil disturbance can create a suitable seedbed for germination and survival of seedlings. 187 Poorly developed soils of cobbles, gravels, or sands which remain moist year round due to high water tables. 98 |
| Soil Depth | |
| Ave. Precip. Needs | |
| Flooding or High Water Tolerance | Sub-irrigation necessary 160 High flood tolerance 98 |
| Soil Stabilization
|
Seeds itself in disturbed soil 187
Soil fertility improved through nitrogen fixation 129 Stabilizes streambanks 98 |
| Palatability and Attractiveness to Animals; Response to Grazing | Low to moderate palatability to
wildlife and domestic stock 160. Food source for mammals and birds 187 Twigs and leaves of younger plants eaten by deer, elk, moose, muskrats, cottontails, and snowshoe hares. Beavers eat the bark and use stems for building. Seeds, buds, and catkins eaten by many birds; an important winter food source. 98 |
| Elevation Range | Lower montane elevations 160. Near sea level to 3000 m 98 Near sea level to 10,000 ft 198 |
| Competitiveness | |
| Plasticity | |
| Root System: Rhizomes, Stolons, etc. | |
| Shade tolerance | Moderate (high) 187. |
| TABLE: | CONSERVATION SOWING OR PLANTING ON N.F. SITES |
| Sow Rate for Sowing on National Forest Sites, Lb./Acre | |
| Sowing Method and Date | |
| Planting Density, Spacing | |
| Planting Method and Date | |
| Animal Damage Control in Plantings | |
| Miscellaneous |