When does Grey Alder bloom?

Grey Alder flowers early, typically in February and March, with narrow catkins opening before the leaves emerge for the season.

How much water does Grey Alder need?

It grows best in consistently moist to wet soil and is often found along streambanks, floodplains, and wet meadows, though it can tolerate somewhat drier medium moisture sites.

What pollinators does Grey Alder support?

Bees, beetles, and moths visit and use Grey Alder, with the catkins providing an early pollen source when few other plants are flowering.

How much sun does Grey Alder need?

Grey Alder grows well in full sun to part shade, and it tends to thrive best with at least several hours of direct light each day.

What growth habit does Grey Alder have?

It grows as a tree, often with multiple trunks, and can form thickets in the moist, open sites it favors.

Is Grey alder toxic to livestock?

The USDA PLANTS Database does not flag Grey alder as toxic to livestock.

Is Grey alder HOA-friendly?

Grey alder takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Grey alder

Name: Pollinator Patch
Author: Pollinator Patch

Alnus incana

Last reviewed: October 2026

Alnus incana is a fast growing tree often seen along streambanks, wet meadows, and mountain drainages, producing slender catkins in February and March before its leaves unfold.

Toxicity unknown

Grey alder (Alnus incana) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.

The USDA PLANTS Database (opens in new tab) does not flag Grey alder as toxic to livestock.

Light

full sun

Water

high

Size

96"–240" H × 96"–180" W

Bloom

Mar, Apr

Native to

CT, IA, IL, IN and 16 more states

Pollinators

bees, flies

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A multi-stemmed, suckering deciduous shrub of stream banks and wet thickets, with toothed oval leaves, dangling male catkins in early spring and small woody cones that persist through winter. It fixes nitrogen and tolerates saturated soil.

In an HOA neighborhood

Grey alder takes more care to keep looking intentional in a front yard. Maintenance level: moderate. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Works well in: rain garden, pond edge.

Suckers into thickets in wet ground and can look unkempt

Wildlife value

Early catkins give pollen to bees, seeds feed finches and siskins, and the dense thickets shelter nesting birds and stabilize wet banks.

Common questions

When does Grey Alder bloom?: Grey Alder flowers early, typically in February and March, with narrow catkins opening before the leaves emerge for the season.
How much water does Grey Alder need?: It grows best in consistently moist to wet soil and is often found along streambanks, floodplains, and wet meadows, though it can tolerate somewhat drier medium moisture sites.
What pollinators does Grey Alder support?: Bees, beetles, and moths visit and use Grey Alder, with the catkins providing an early pollen source when few other plants are flowering.
How much sun does Grey Alder need?: Grey Alder grows well in full sun to part shade, and it tends to thrive best with at least several hours of direct light each day.
What growth habit does Grey Alder have?: It grows as a tree, often with multiple trunks, and can form thickets in the moist, open sites it favors.
Is Grey alder toxic to livestock?: The USDA PLANTS Database does not flag Grey alder as toxic to livestock.
Is Grey alder HOA-friendly?: Grey alder takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.

Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.

If something looks wrong

Common plant problems, and what to check first

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