Latin Name: Alnus incana
Other common names: Gray Alder, Hoary Alder, Tag Alder
General description: Coarse Shrub that can sometimes be classed as a tree. Grows best in wet conditions, along streams and in swamps that have drainage.
Bark: Smooth, reddish-brown with orange markings.
Leaves: Oval 2-4 inches long, thick-textured, not sticky, veins deeply impressed above.
Twigs: Moderately slender, reddish-brown; buds dark reddish-brown.
Sources used: The Forest Trees of Ontario by J. H. White revised by R. C. Hosie (1980); Shrubs of Ontario by James H. Soper and Margaret L. Heimburger (1994).