Herb latin name: Alnus nitida


Synonyms: Clethropsis nitida


Family: Betulaceae (Birch Family)



Medicinal use of Alnus nitida:

A decoction of the bark is applied externally to treat swellings and body pains.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Tree

Height:
30 m
(98 feet)

Flowering:
September

Habitat of the herb:

By rivers and streams, 600 - 1200 metres, occasionally to 2700 metres.

Other uses of Alnus nitida:

Tannin is obtained from the bark, it is used in dyeing. Wood - soft, even grained, hard to cut. Used for construction and furniture.

Propagation of the herb:

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 Alnus nitida:

By rivers and streams, 600 - 1200 metres, occasionally to 2700 metres.

Known hazards of Alnus nitida:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.