Grey Alder vs Yellow Birch - TreeTime.ca

Grey Alder vs Yellow Birch

Alnus incana

Betula alleghaniensis

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Grey Alder
Yellow Birch

River Alder is a large shrub or small tree with a multi-stemmed, spreading habit. It is an excellent tree to plant if you want to stabilize the soil near rivers and creeks.

Unlike the other alder varieties, River Alder is attractive enough to be included in riverside plantings by municipal and provincial park organizations.

Note: We use Grey Alder for Alnus incana. This species is also known by many other common names, including River Alder, Speckled Alder, and others. Please confirm the scientific name to ensure you are ordering the correct plant.

Yellow Birch is a large and valuable hardwood species in northeastern North America. The bark on its limbs and young trunks is silvery-yellowish in colour, hence the name. This tree prefers to grow in cool regions with damp or saturated soil.

Yellow Birch can be tapped for syrup, like Sugar Maple. Although the sap has less sugar content, it flows in greater quantity than maple trees.

Note: Unfortunately this difficult to grow species is not currently scheduled to grow at TreeTime.ca. Perhaps try purchasing seed from SeedTime.ca and growing your own? Or sign up for a restock notification above.

Grey Alder Quick Facts

Yellow Birch Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 3a
Height: 8 m (25 ft)
Height: 18 m (60 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Spread: 11 m (35 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: long
Suckering: none
Suckering: low


Fall colour: yellow to orange
Fall colour: bright yellow
Bark: shiny yellow to grey silver peels in curly strips, becomes reddish brown when older
Fruit: small catkins
Cones: small brown cones
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: yes
Catkins: yes


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Other Names: hoary alder, river alder, speckled alder
Other Names: golden birch