Silver Birch and Common Alder
The grey alder is primarily a tree of northern Europe. In central and southern Europe it grows in the mountains, mainly in the region of the Alps and Carpathians. It attains a height of only 15 to 20 metres and has smooth grey bark even in old age, its life span being a maximum of 60 to 100 years. The flowers appear in spring about fourteen days before those of the black poplar, the cones and seeds maturing in late September. The seed is light brown with a broad, encircling wing. The grey alder has a shallow root system, and is marked not only by vigorous production of stump suckers, but also by root suckers, especially in the northern parts of its range.
The leaves are alternate. Beech woods are a lovely sight, in spring with their fresh green foliage, and in autumn when the leaves have turned a golden bronze. The male and female flowers appear in May, the seeds – polished red- brown nuts mature in October, dropping to the ground, where they are eaten by forest animals. In former times pigs were herded into beech woods to feed on the nuts.
The hard, tough and flexible wood is used for interior woodwork, for wheels and also as fuel. The sap is used by the cosmetic industry, and the bark for dressing skins.
The bark is smooth and greenish-grey, even in old trees. The buds, unlike those of the beech, are 10 mm long at the most, and pressed close to the twig. The leaves are alternate. The male and female catkins appear in May after the leaves, the fruit matures in late September. The seed does not germinate till the spring of the second year after sowing. The hornbeam is a prolific seeder and is marked by vigorous, natural regeneration.
A shade-loving tree, it makes moderate demands on soil fertility and moisture. It has a shallow, widespreading root system and is marked by the production of stump sprouts when cut back.
The common alder is marked by the vigorous production of stump sprouts and is often grown for coppicing. The roots have small nodules with nitrogen-fixing bacteria which thereby enrich the soil. The common alder is a fairly light- demanding, fast-growing tree. The yellowish-red wood is used for the foundations of bridges, for plywood and for matches.
