Solved: Black Alder

[swampwhiteoak]

Hope that worked.  Genus is easy, species is somewhat harder.

[Tom]

Well, so far, I'm really puzzled.  The leaves have remote shapes of ginko but they are different.

They look like Mulberry but most mulberry have small points at the tips and I don't know how far north Mulberry grows.  The fruits (?) look a bit like mulberry but not red mulberry. Might be white mulberry.  Then again ..........hmmm-m.  I need a different book.

Hope somebody else has a better idea.

[swampwhiteoak]

Sorry Tom, mulberry isn't close.
Hint #1:  A close relative grows on streambanks

[Tom]

I haven't found a picture but I found a verbal description. "Oval leaf almost 4 sided with fine double serations on the edge and 7 veins on each side."  This was the description of Red Birch and so that is just my GUESS until I can find find a better key.

Am I getting warm yet?  Help somebody!  

[swampwhiteoak]

Gettin warmer, Tom.  Right family.

[Tom]

I think Alder is a Birch. I'll guess Hazel Alder and then go back to the book store tomorrow.  Man, I am having a hard time finding books with keys outside of  Florida. :-/

[Don P]

Alder is where I was leaning with the "cones" but the lumber still has too many leaves in the way for me to be sure.

[swampwhiteoak]

Alder is correct, hazel alder is incorrect.  To be fair you pretty much got it, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference by leaves either.  But a more accurate description should help.

Mature tree 50ft+ tall.  Non-native planted in windbreaks and other CRP lands.  Grows VERY fast.  Not sure if this one will be in tree keys.  

[Tom]

My book list only one introduced Alder, European Alder.  (Black Alder, European Black Alder).  

Its leaves look a lot like what you have pictured.

Would this be the ID? :-/

[swampwhiteoak]

Originally posted by Tom

Black Alder, European Black Alder

Alright Tom wins a ___, oh wait I don't have anything to give you.  Oh, well.  You can live with the knowledge that solved a mystery.

We use black alder up here mainly in windbreaks (this is heavy farm country).  That stuff shoots up faster than cottonwood and is also a nitrogen fixer.