Alnus rubra aka Red Alder

Alnus rubra, commonly known as red alder, is a deciduous broadleaf tree native to western North America. It is a medium-sized tree, reaching heights of 20 to 30 meters, with a fast growth rate and a graceful habit. The tree has a narrow pyramidal head with pendulous branches. The bark is mottled, ashy-gray, and smooth, often covered in white lichen and moss. The leaves are large, ovate, and dark green above, with a grayish underside. They have bluntly serrated edges and a distinct point at the end, with a revolute leaf margin. In autumn, the leaves turn yellow before falling. During early spring, red alder produces long male catkins that hang down and have a reddish color. Female flowers occur in clusters and develop into small, woody, oval dry fruit. These fruits contain seeds with a membranous winged margin for long-distance dispersal. Red alder grows along the Pacific coast, from southeast Alaska to central coastal California, usually within 200 km of the coast. It can also be found inland in Washington, Oregon, and northernmost Montana. Red alder is often associated with other tree species like coast Douglas-fir, western hemlock, grand fir, western redcedar, and Sitka spruce in forests. Along streambanks, it is commonly found with willows, red osier dogwood, Oregon ash, and bigleaf maple. In areas outside its range, red alder is replaced by white alder, which has different leaf characteristics and lacks membranous wings on seed margins. In high mountains, it is replaced by the smaller Sitka alder, and east of the Cascade Mountains, by thinleaf alder.