Americain Green Alder

Americain Green Alder, a subspecies of alder, is a native shrub found in northeastern North America and Greenland. As a nitrogen-fixing plant, it plays an important ecological role and is commonly used to restore infertile soils and stabilize riverbanks. It thrives particularly well in moist or cool soils but can also grow in poorer conditions.
Whether in full sun or partial shade, Green Alder can reach a height of 2 to 3 metres and spread up to 1.5 metres. In winter, its male catkins stand upright at the tips of the branches, a distinguishing feature that differentiates it from Speckled Alder, whose catkins hang downward.

Male catkins are also traditionally used in the preparation of poivre des dunes (dune pepper).

Indigenous peoples made extensive use of the properties of Green Alder to treat various ailments. Inuit communities prepared poultices from the leaves to help heal wounds and injuries. The Tanana people, for example, used a decoction of the inner bark to relieve stomach discomfort. The wood was also traditionally used for smoking fish.

Green Alder was thus valued for a wide range of uses, with Indigenous knowledge allowing each part of the shrub to be used according to its specific properties.

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