Speckled Alder Traditional Cache

This Speckled Alder remindeds me of the ones I knew well in Sweden. It turns out to be an American version of the same.

Speckled Alder.

Alnus incana (grey alder or speckled alder) is a species of alder with a wide range across the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere

Description

It is a small to medium size tree 15–20 m (49–66 ft) tall with smooth grey bark even in old age, its life span being a maximum of 60 to 100 years. The leaves are matte green, ovoid, 5–11 cm (2.0–4.3 in) long and 4–8 cm (1.6–3.1 in) broad. The flowers are catkins, appearing early in spring before the leaves emerge, the male catkins pendulous and 5–10 cm (2–4 in) long, the female catkins 1.5 cm (0.6 in) long and one cm broad when mature in late autumn. The seeds are small, 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 in) long, and light brown with a narrow encircling wing. The grey alder has a shallow root system, and is marked not only by vigorous production of stump suckers, but also by root suckers, especially in the northern parts of its range. The wood resembles that of the black alder, but is somewhat paler and of little economic value.

Ecology

Alnus incana is a light-demanding, fast-growing tree that grows well on poorer soils. In central Europe, it is a colonist of alluvial land alongside mountain brooks and streams, occurring at elevations up to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). However, it does not require moist soil, and will also colonize screes and shallow stony slopes. In the northern part of its range, it is a common tree species at sea level in forests, abandoned fields and on lakeshores. It is sometimes used for afforestation on non-fertile soils which it enriches by means of nitrogen fixing bacteria in its root nodules.

Uses

Speckled alder is used locally for fuel but the wood has no commercial value. Because root nodules of alders support nitrogen-fixing bacteria, yields of timber-producing trees can be enhanced when grown in association with alder, in the same way that leguminous crops increase production in agricultural crops. The nitrogen-enhancing effect is local and restricted to trees in the immediate vicinity of the alder. Rapid growth in open habitats, wide tolerance to soil types, and potential for soil conditioning make  useful in rehabilitation of disturbed sites, including old mines.

Alders are beautiful and functional plants and deserve to be more widely grown in gardens and nurseries. They are fast growing and can easily be trained to a tree-like form by removing lower branches.

Wildlife: Speckled alder thickets provide cover for moose, white-tailed deer, rabbits, and others. Moose, muskrats, beavers, and rabbits browse the twigs and foliage. Songbirds, including redpolls, goldfinches, woodcock, and grouse eat the seeds, buds, and catkins. Beavers build dams and lodges with speckled alder.

Ethnobotanic: Native Americans used speckled alder to treat anemia, as an emetic, a compress or wash for sore eyes, and a diaphoretic, for internal bleeding, urinary problems, sprains, bruises or backaches, itches, flux, and piles, to cure saddle gall in horses. When mixed with powdered bumblebees, it was used as an aid for difficult labor. Tea was made from alder to cure diarrhea and toothaches. Other bark mixtures were applied to rashes, eyes, and swelling. Chippewa Indians mixed alder root scraping with grounded up bumblebee and fed the mixture to women whom were having difficulty during childbirth.

Erosion Control: Speckled alder’s acceptance of a wide variety of soil types makes it a good choice for disturbed site rehabilitation. This is a valuable species to plant along stream banks for erosion control.

The cache is a tied in, camoed, "micro" pill bottle; the push hard to open and close kind. Please BYOP, no tweezers and return as you found it. I.e. with a rubber band around the log in a tiny plastic bag.