Herb latin name: Alnus hirsuta


Synonyms: Alnus sibirica, Alnus tinctoria


Family: Betulaceae (Birch Family)



Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Tree

Height:
18 m
(59 feet)

Flowering:
March
to April

Habitat of Alnus hirsuta:

Mountains and hills all over Japan.

Other uses of the herb:

A dye is obtained from the bark. No more details are given. Wood - close grained. Used in turnery and for making charcoal.

Propagation of Alnus hirsuta:

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe and only just covered. Spring sown seed should also germinate successfully so long as it is not covered. The seed should germinate in the spring as the weather warms up. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots. If growth is sufficient, it is possible to plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer, otherwise keep them in pots outdoors and plant them out in the spring. If you have sufficient quantity of seed, it can be sown thinly in an outdoor seed bed in the spring. The seedlings can either be planted out into their permanent positions in the autumn/winter, or they can be allowed to grow on in the seed bed for a further season before planting them. Cuttings of mature wood, taken as soon as the leaves fall in autumn, outdoors in sandy soil.

Cultivation of the herb:

Mountains and hills all over Japan.

Medicinal use of Alnus hirsuta:

None known

Known hazards of Alnus hirsuta:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.