Alders

Today I managed to miss some really prolonged periods of sunshine (obviously not on purpose!)  As it was cloudy this morning I mooched along one of my favourite streams, recording the relaxing sound as a video which now won't load: anything but relaxing!  I suggest that you find your own stream to sit and listen to!

There are a lot of Alder trees along this stream. Alder is usually found beside water but many people overlook it.  I love the female flowers which look like little cones. They start off green but end up woody and brown.  Some trees have both showing really well and you can see the male catkins that will release pollen early next spring. We often don't think about things until they happen but I think that it is interesting too see how far ahead you can spot things in nature.

Most deciduous trees (that loose their leaves each year) have leaves that are turning yellow or bronze as the chlorophyll (a green pigment) breaks down. The Alders, however, have a carpet of green leaves underneath as they lose their leaves with the chlorophyll still there. Alder trees appear to have nitrogen fixing bacteria associated with their roots and this may be something to do with why they drop green leaves, although we still have a lot to learn (or I do) about the details of this.

 This is not a great photo but it shows the carpet of green leaves.

Look out for alders next time you are beside a stream!

As the sun was so beautiful this afternoon, we set out again. It rained! At least I was rewarded with a lovely rainbow (it was fading by the time I took the photo of course!)