Korean Boxwood vs Red Alder - TreeTime.ca

Korean Boxwood vs Red Alder

Buxus microphylla Koreana

Alnus rubra

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

no image
Red Alder

Korean Boxwood is a vibrant evergreen shrub. A top choice for colder climates, this shrub will look stunning lining a driveway or as a foundation plant.

Easy to root in and maintain, Korean Boxwood's thick foliage is deer resistant and turns an attractive yellow-brown to purplish in winter. Consider applying mulch around the base to keep the roots moist and cool.

Red Alder is a fast-growing deciduous tree native to western North America. Through its nitrogen-fixing roots and nitrogen-rich leaf litter, Red Alder improves soil fertility and supports the growth of surrounding plants. This makes it especially valuable on disturbed sites following logging, construction, or fire. A classic pioneer species, it often colonizes bare ground and enhances conditions for longer-lived conifers to follow.

Red Alder stabilizes soils on streambanks and disturbed slopes, reducing erosion and aiding restoration. It also supports wildlife: birds and small mammals eat the seeds and buds, deer and elk browse the foliage, and bees are drawn to the pollen-rich catkins in spring.

Red Alder also has commercial importance, with its strong yet workable wood widely used for furniture, cabinetry, veneer, and pulp. The tree takes its name from the rusty-red color the bark turns when cut or bruised.

Korean Boxwood Quick Facts

Red Alder Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 5b
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Height: 15 m (50 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 9 m (30 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright, rounded to conical
Spreading: seeds - medium, stump sprouting - medium
Suckering: none


Foliage: evergreen
Fall colour: yellow-brown to purple
Bark: smooth, grey
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: yes


Native to: BC
Other Names: oregon alder, pacific coast alder, western alder