Oriental Alder Seeds

Currently unavailable: Oriental alder is the only alder species that has survived at my farm in the dry rocky soil that I have. Probably because it was native to the driest soils in the world including Syria and Cicely. But even there it grows next to streams and lakes. Here in Michigan I do not have that luxury. My whole farms soil profile is more like a sand dune. I kept growing many species and planting them out only to find they rarely lived more than two years. I knew that many alder species are wetland plants and found growing along streams and lakes. Try going trout fishing and not getting snagged and you soon will discover this plant in the northern regions of the world. 

I grew roughly a dozen species from all over the world. Many of the native alders that I found next to my families farm pond also did not survive. It was just too dry here. Oriental alder was a selection grown from seed and planted next to my pawpaw and pear plantings around 30 years ago. There it grew quite vigorously with a straight tall trunk. Other trees of this species were planted under a bur oak planting. All these selections produce a narrow crown and naturally loose their lower limbs as they mature. This alder has potential as a nitrogen fixing tree crop for cover, wind break, and as well as wood production. The alder from the northwestern U.S. is a good example of tapping the potential of this unsung genus of plants. Like the dandelion, appreciation is in the eye of the beholder. 

To germinate the seeds:  Seeds are easy to germinate. Put the seeds in a lightly moist Canadian peat moss and store at 34-38F for 90 days. After 90 days, spread the mixture on a prop tray so the seeds are near the surface of the soil. Seeds will slowly sprout over a two week period. Seeds sprout best if kept uniformly moist.