BETULACEAE - - Birch Family

Alnus serrulata (Aiton) Willdenow — Tag, Smooth or Hazel Alder

Tag Alder (Alnus serrulata) is a small tree or large shrub to 10 meters, but usually half that size, with a narrow, rounded crown; trunk crooked, often spindly, to 10 cm in diameter, usually with multiple trunks. The bark is smooth and very similar to Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana). Leaves are alternate, deciduous, 5-10 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, oval, narrowly cuneate base, finely toothed along the margin. Flowers are both in catkins, the male very long and drooping, the female in short, rounded clusters of from 3-6, that develop into small cones, composed of numerous scales that are thickened at their tips, each scale enclosing a tiny winged seed. The species name serrulata means small-toothed, referring to leaf margins.

Separating Characteristics

The combination of shrub / small tree; smooth dark gray bark; leaves to 10 cm long with serrulate margins; long drooping male catkins; fruit a cluster of from 3-6 small cones, should be rather unique and distinct.

Habitat

Streambanks, bogs, wet thickets.

Habitat information from:
Weakley, Alan S., Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States, Working Draft of 21 May 2015.

Native Range

Nova Scotia west to Maine, New York, Missouri, and Oklahoma, south to northeast Florida, Panhandle Florida, and Texas.

The native range of Alnus serrulata (Tag Alder)

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2015. North American Plant Atlas. (http://bonap.net/napa). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2015. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press)].

The Georgia range of Alnus serrulata (Tag Alder)

Zomlefer, W.B., J.R. Carter, & D.E. Giannasi. 2014 (and ongoing). The Atlas of Georgia Plants. University of Georgia Herbarium (Athens, Georgia) and Valdosta State University Herbarium (Valdosta, Georgia). Available at: http://www.georgiaherbaria.org/.