Tree ID please

Kat1170

Anyone able to ID this tree for me, cheers.

Oldtree

looks like Alder - Alnus glutinosa

Buds go very purple in winter.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/897/Common-alder/Details

Genghis Cant

It's alder alright. Likes to keep its feet wet. Often seen growing along rivers.

blue5000

+1 alder, grows really fast in wet areas. Timber is soft though, even though it's deciduous.

have2flushtwice

Is alder good for firewood?
we have a wet corner in one field, I planted four trees in it two years ago, 2 ash and two cherry I think. I was told the ash wouldn't survive and of course I planted them anyway! It seems to be doing fine so far but the water will probably cover the base of the bark in the winter. time will tell.

have you a picture of a larger alder tree or the bark of it? I would be interested in planting in two of these also.

my3cents

Not really a good firewood but its OK, I burn it because we have alder growing down the river bank.

lazybones32

have2flushtwice wrote: »

Is alder good for firewood?

Some swear by it and others despise it. Alder is a hard-wood but is the softest of the hard-wood's; it burns quickly and doesn't give out massive heat. Some think it's best used to get a fire "going" before adding the better burning wood. Alder gives off very little resin that will cling to your flue but it can get very smokey.
It can be harvested on a 5 year rotation and coppices freely.

my3cents

lazybones32 wrote: »

Some swear by it and others despise it. Alder is a hard-wood but is the softest of the hard-wood's; it burns quickly and doesn't give out massive heat. Some think it's best used to get a fire "going" before adding the better burning wood. Alder gives off very little resin that will cling to your flue but it can get very smokey.
It can be harvested on a 5 year rotation and coppices freely.

And the smoke has quite a nice smell to it not as good as apple wood be still nice.