Bracted Honeysuckle vs Red Alder - TreeTime.ca

Bracted Honeysuckle vs Red Alder

Lonicera involucrata

Alnus rubra

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Bracted Honeysuckle
Red Alder

Bracted Honeysuckle is a shade loving shrub that is distinguishable from other honeysuckles by its square stem and pointed leaves. Native to most of North America, this honeysuckle is found along swamps, rivers, riparian zones and moist wooded areas.

If you have a erosion control project in mind, consider Bracted Honeysuckle.

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.

Bracted Honeysuckle Quick Facts

Red Alder Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 5b
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Height: 15 m (50 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 9 m (30 ft)
Light: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright, rounded to conical
Spreading: seeds - medium, stump sprouting - medium
Suckering: medium


Bark: smooth, grey
Berries: shiny, purple-black berries produced in pairs
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: yes


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NU
Native to: BC
Other Names: bearberry honeysuckle, black twinberry, twinberry
Other Names: oregon alder, pacific coast alder, western alder