DescriptionPlanting InstructionsAfter CareDelivery & Guarantee
Grey Alder Trees - Large Standards - Delivered by Mail Order from the Nursery with a 1 Year Guarantee
Grey Alder trees, Alnus incana, are great for really wet soil and freezing cold sites. They need plenty of sun and will not grow on chalk or very acidic peat. Grey alder is a very vigorous tree that tends to grow lots of suckering shoots from its base, which provides cover for small animals. Like all the Alder family, this tree improves the soil around it by releasing soluble Nitrogen.
Grey Alder trees can reach a height of about 30 metres, but 20 metres is more usual.
Standard trees are the largest size that we deliver; you can also buy younger Grey Alder saplings here.
Grey Alder standards are also available as the ornamental cultivar Alnus incana 'Aurea'.
Browse all of our other Alder varieties here.
How Standard Trees are Measured:
All the plants in the ornamental trees section are graded as standards, which means that they are measured by their girth in centimetres 1 metre above ground level (basically, their trunk's waist measurement). They aren't measured by their height, which will vary. So, a 6/8 standard has a trunk with a circumference of 6-8 centimetres and an 8/10 standard has a trunk 8-10 centimetres around.
This measurement makes no difference to the tree's final height.
Standard trees are 2 - 3.5 metres tall (on average) when they arrive; they are the most mature trees that you can buy from us. We cannot tell you precisely how tall your trees will be before we deliver them.
General description of Grey Alder trees:
Grey alder takes its name from its grey bark and the silvery-grey tint to its young leaves. In early spring, before the leaves appear, Grey alder produces yellow catkins with a pretty pink-red tinge and plump little green cones, which will mature and release seeds in autumn. The autumn leaves are
Grey Alders is a relatively short lived trees, usually dying after about 100 years. Young trees are extremely vigorous and can grow by close to metre per year. Mature trees are fairly narrow and upright.
History & uses of Alnus incana
This tree is native to Europe and Russia. Its most common natural habitat is along the banks of rivers. Alder trees are often planted on reclaimed sites where the soil is very poor or at risk of erosion. They improve the soil for other plants and their matted roots are good at holding loose soil together.
Grey alder wood isn't commercially useful, but it is very easy to carve.
It is sometime called Speckled Alder.
Notes on planting Grey Alder trees:
Grey Alder will grow well in most soils, as long as they are not very alkaline (like chalk) or very acidic (like peat). It needs plenty of sun. It prefers wet sites and will happily grow in boggy terrain or on a river bank. It can grow quite near the sea. Italian Alder is a better choice for dry soil.
It will not grow well if the site is too acidic or alkaline and they will not grow in the shade. Young plants will tolerate partial shade, as long as they can grow up into better sunlight.
Prepare your site before planting:
It is good to dig over the site where you plant a tree several months in advance. Kill the weeds first: for tough weeds like nettles, brambles and ground elder, you will usually need a glyphosate based weed-killer to get rid of them. When you dig the soil over, remove stones and other rubbish and mix in well rotted compost or manure down to the depth of about 2 spades.
Watch our video on how to plant a tree for full instructions.
Remember to water establishing trees during dry weather for at least a year after planting.
Tree Planting accessories:
Prepare your site for planting by killing the weeds and grass with Roundup weed killer.
You can buy a tree planting pack with a wooden stake & rubber tie to support the tree and a mulch mat with pegs to protect the soil around the base of your tree from weeds and drying out.
We suggest that you use mycorrhizal "friendly fungi" on the roots of all newly planted large trees: if your soil quality is poor, we strongly recommend it.
You can also improve your soil with bonemeal organic fertiliser and Growmore.
After you plant a tree, the most important thing to do is water it in dry weather. You will also need to weed around the plants. Watering should be thorough, so the ground is soaked. Let the soil almost dry out before watering again. Watering & weeding will be necessary for at least a year after planting.
If your trees do need pruning, it is ideal to do this in winter. Always hire a tree surgeon to remove large branches.
Special notes on caring for Grey Alder trees:
Grey Alder is a very tough tree that shouldn't need special attention once it has established.
Hygiene & Diseases:
Dead, damaged or diseased wood can be pruned off as soon as it appears.
Disinfect your pruning tools between every cut if there is any sign of disease.
Burn or dispose of any diseased material, do not compost it.
Read our full terms and conditions here.
Delivery: Any order with a standard sized tree in it has a basic delivery charge of £12.55 + vat.
Because couriers sometimes experience delays, we schedule delivery by week, not by day. Therefore, please plan your planting day for the weekend at the end of the delivery week or for the week following delivery, at the earliest.
You can choose the delivery week that suits you during checkout and we will email you the day before your plants are due to arrive.
Payment: We do not charge your card until we begin to prepare your order for packing.
Guarantee: If any plants die within a year, we will replace them. We only ask that you follow our planting & growing instructions and sent us clear photographs of the dead plants in situ, so we can help to make sure that the replacement plants succeed. You only pay for the delivery of the replacements.
Please note that our guarantee is void if there is a hosepipe ban in your area: your newly planted trees must be watered in dry weather while they are establishing. The best way to water is very thoroughly every few days: at least once a week if there is no heavy rain.
Our nursery has been supplying large ornamental trees to gardeners since 1949. Our website started in 2003, so we do understand the concerns that you may have about buying specimen trees online. If any of your plants are damaged when they arrive or if you are otherwise not satisfied with your order after you inspect it, please repackage it and contact us. We will give you a refund or send replacements and send a courier to come and collect the unwanted plants.
Your 12 Month Guarantee
If any plants die within a year, we replace them if you have followed our instructions. You only pay for
the delivery of the replacements.
Place an order for £250 excluding VAT and delivery and we deliver it for FREE!
Bare-root Plants are only delivered in the winter season, from November to March. Pot grown plants can be delivered all year round
Advantages of Bare-root plants:
You pay less for the same size plants.
You can carry and plan them easily.
You only plant them in winter, so they need less maintenance after
planting. The rain will water them for their first few months.
You get the biggest selection: Many trees are not sold pot-grown.
They are "asleep" in winter - this is the best time to transplant any tree.
They use fewer fertilisers & fungicides, less water and fuel in their production & delivery.
Advantages of Pot Grown plants:
Pot grown plants can be delivered & planted all year round.
Plants with tender roots & larger specimens must be delivered in pots.
Plants in pots can be kept for months longer if there is a delay in planting.
Our Advice to You:
If you can't wait to get planting, order Pot grown plants now.
If you are not in a hurry, order bare-root plants for delivery this winter. Simply add them to your basket and choose a winter delivery date that suits you during checkout.
This will reserve your plants before they sell out.
We won't charge you until the day before delivery, so cancelling your order is always easy.
If you are only ordering chemicals and other small items, delivery is £3.50
Our delivery charge for most bareroot plants is £9.49 + VAT.
If your order contains any standard sized trees, fruit trees or pot-grown plants, then the delivery charge is £12.55 + VAT in TOTAL.
If you live in the Scottish Highlands or the Isle of Wight, there will be an extra charge of £15 + VAT on top of the appropriate basic charge, as listed above.
If your order is over £250 exc. VAT, there will be no delivery charge.
If you are uncertain, just add items to your basket which will calculate the basic shipping charge for you.
