Common Name(s): Grey alder, speckled alder
Scientific Name: Alnus incana
Distribution: Native to Central Europe; various subspecies are also found in temperate regions of North America and Asia
Average Dried Weight: 29.2 lbs/ft3 (465 kg/m3)
Janka Hardness: 770 lbf (3410 N)*
*Estimated hardness based on specific gravity
Comments: Grey alder is closely related to Alnus glutinosa, another alder species native to Europe. However, grey alder tends to occur as smaller, more multi-stemmed trees that are less suited to commercial harvesting for lumber. However, if clear, defect-free pieces can be obtained, the wood from the two species are very comparable.
Note: This is a truncated profile page. If you have any helpful info or experience with this wood species, feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to integrate any relevant data when I expand the page. ~Eric
Images: Drag the slider up/down to toggle between raw and finished wood.
Identification: See the article on Hardwood Anatomy for definitions of endgrain features. There are currently no pictures of this exact wood species, but a similar species within the Alnus genus is being substituted European alder (A. glutinosa). If you’d like to contribute a wood sample for this webpage, please see the contact form for donating wood samples.
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Hello, I live in Canada (B.C.). We have two types of alder growing here. I would recommend, adding some of the ecological benefits that alders add to ecosystems.