Japanese alder

Family Betulaceae. Far East, East Asia. Present in several reserves of the Far East. Grows along the seacoast and forms pure stands. A light-loving mesohygrophilous species.

Japanese alder usually forms monodominant, but small in area, stands on coastal and river terraces. They are surrounded by wet reed-grass and sedge meadows and shrubby woody regrowth communities. In places alder also enters into the composition of mixed broad-leaved forests. In the latter, nose-leaved and Manchurian ash and Mongolian oak or birches, lindens, etc., may dominate. Japanese alder everywhere is only an incidental associate.

Tree up to 20 m tall.

Vegetates from 9 April±10 to 9 October±8, lasting 169 days. In the first three years it grows slowly. Flowers and bears fruit from 6 years, annually. Flowers from 24 April to 28 April for 4 days. Seeds ripen on 23 September. Seeds sown without stratification in March-April in a greenhouse germinate in May. Winter hardiness complete.

based on materials from the website www.flower.onego.ru