Drooping Alder (Alnus pendula) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Drooping alder is a Japanese shrub or small tree whose little woody cones hang in clusters. It is not native to the United States.

Appearance

Growth form: This plant is usually a many-stemmed shrub or small tree, reaching about 26 ft (8 m).
Leaves: The narrow leaves have sharp double teeth and many straight side veins.
Flowers: Both the long pollen and the shorter seed-bearing catkins hang downward.
Fruit: Small woody cones remain in hanging clusters on the branches.

Look-alikes

Japanese green alderAlnus firma

Drooping alder has hanging clusters of seed-bearing catkins and narrow leaves with many close side veins. Japanese green alder holds its seed clusters upright and has fewer side veins.

Why they get mixed upBoth are East Asian alders found in cultivation.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: mountain slopes in Japan
tree collections in the U.S.
Range: It grows wild in Japan. In the United States, it is recorded in cultivated tree collections, including one in Portland, Oregon.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

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