Most Folks might not call the Tag Alder a Tree because of its size. Occasionally, though, it does reach heights worthy of the name, 'Tree', and I include it because it looks like a small Tree, has so many healing properties, is so common, and because I like it.

When I think of Alder I usually also think of water; as the 'speckled' or 'tag' Alder, and most of the Alnus (Alder) family like living near water. Stream and river banks, lake shores, even gullies and swamps with some drainage are the favoured home sites of the Alder. The presence of Alder often indicates water nearby or close beneath the surface.

A fascinating feature of Alder is the nitrogen fixing ability of the clusters of swellings on the rootlets. This probably helps them with their quick growth, and then benefits the soil fertility when they die.

Male and female flowers appear on the same tree, formed in the autumn so that the male catkin is ready to elongate and release its clouds of yellow pollen early in spring, often while there's still ice and snow on the ground. Bees greatly appreciate this, and use alder pollen for spring brood rearing.

The cone-like female catkins are woody and remain on the tree for a year or more after the small winged nutlet has matured and flown away. These little 'cones' help to distinguish the Alder from a young Birch, which it resembles. The Birch's female catkin disintegrates after the seeds drop.

Ptarmigan and grouse eat the soft buds and seeds. Muskrat, deer, rabbits and moose browse the twigs. Beaver and rabbits chew the bark. People also eat the buds, liking them for their soft chewiness and ease of picking. The inner bark of the Alder may be eaten for emergency food.

Alder leaves crushed or pulped when green, or moistened with warm milk or water when dry and used as a poultice, have been used for reducing swelling of all kinds. The fresh leaves placed in moccasins, shoes or boots relieve or prevent hot and aching feet. A strong tea of the leaves used as a foot bug is foot soother.

The strong leaf tea is also a soothing wash for pimples, wounds and sores. As a poultice it is known to take the 'fire' out of scalds, burns and inflammations, just like the water that Alder loves to grow by. Leaves can also be chewed and placed on a bleeding wound as a styptic to stop the flow.

As a mild tea Alder leaves have been used as a treatment for blood ailments and rheumatic complaints. Most Alder leaves contain about 5,000 ppm of molybdenum, a rare and necessary mineral.

Like the leaves, the inner bark - which is available all year round - is known for being astringent, cooling and soothing and was much used to reduce swelling, alleviate dropsy, as an alterative for regenerating internal glands, and even to aid in a cure for gangrene.

With this in mind it is easy to understand that Native American Peoples and early settlers used a strong brew of Alder bark as a regular vulnerary for deep wounds (even to the bone) and bruises, and effected what could be termed miraculous recoveries.

The Delaware chewed the bark as a quick poultice for swellings, strains and heavy bleeding. While chewing it they could also be cleaning their teeth, relieving mouth pain and firming their gums. I've known it to reduce a tooth abscess overnight.

The boiled bark as a tea had many uses. It was drunk for diarrhea, diphtheria, haemorrhage of the lungs, bloody stools, general weakness, to solidify mucous in a cold, and to stop cramps and retching. It vas gargled as a mouthwash, especially during toothaches and for sore throats. Alder bark tea was also used as a wash for sore eyes, for sores, and to treat itching.

Inner bark of Alder was also boiled in vinegar to make a remedy to kill head lice and relieve the itch (scabies).

The powdered inner bark was used as a dusting on chafed skin, even on saddle galls of horses.

Alder's twigs were the main part used in some areas, where they were boiled and used as a bath for sprains, bruises, headache and backache. For strong bruises one drank an infusion made from year old twigs every two hours. Besides healing the bruise this tea was thought to calm the pain.

In some areas people sought the stronger astringent power found in the root bark. This again was used for swellings, as an astringent and coagulant tea, and as a wash for horses' saddle galls. It was also used as an emetic.

The root was also used as a yellow dye; the yellow dye is also found in the inner bark and can colour the skin when the bark is used as a skin poultice.

Alder wood is hard and good for burning when it's dry, but like Birch, it can't be left sitting long with its moisture-proof bark on or the wood will rot.

All in all, Alder is a helpful little tree for humans, animals, and the Earth's soil, as it not only fertilizes but helps hold together steam and river banks.