# Picking Alder Cones



## AverageWhiteBloke (11 Oct 2017)

Will be going out foraging shortly for Oak leaves and Alder cones. A google search turns out there's a forest near me with both species of tree which is for sale, haha not thinking of buying it 30k for a wood is a bit much for me,just "borrowing" some bits and pieces. When I google Alder trees to see what the species looks like I note it says the cones stay on the tree all year. Am I looking for ones that have fell off or do you pull them from the tree?


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## Lindy (11 Oct 2017)

AverageWhiteBloke said:


> Will be going out foraging shortly for Oak leaves and Alder cones. A google search turns out there's a forest near me with both species of tree which is for sale, haha not thinking of buying it 30k for a wood is a bit much for me,just "borrowing" some bits and pieces. When I google Alder trees to see what the species looks like I note it says the cones stay on the tree all year. Am I looking for ones that have fell off or do you pull them from the tree?


You can use either but I think it is a bit early for alder cones. The cones should be dark brown. I picked mine last year in Dec. I dried them and then put in a box to shake all the seeds out. You can take them off the ground too. 

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## dw1305 (11 Oct 2017)

Hi all, 





AverageWhiteBloke said:


> When I google Alder trees to see what the species looks like I note it says the cones stay on the tree all year.


It is good time to identify the trees now, even if the cones are still green like @Lindy says. If you pick the <"cones in the autumn they tend to be full of seeds">, and these will germinate freely on top of sponges etc in the tank. 

You can pick the trees out in the autumn because Alder has dark green leaves that stay on the tree a long time into autumn, and they don't  always change colour before they are shed (they go a dirty yellow other-wise), it also grows in wet places. 

So a dark green tree in leaf late in the year, and by a stream/lake/marsh, is very likely to be an Alder.

cheers Darrel


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## AverageWhiteBloke (11 Oct 2017)

Thanks @Lindy @dw1305 Weather is supposed to be nice this weekend so I think I'll see if I can pin point the trees while I'm up looking for Oak leaves. Been a monsoon this last couple of days and everything is sodden, hopefully if it fairs up a bit I can get some drier leaves. The wood is right beside the river Ehen so should be a good place for Alder, at least I will know where to go later in the year. Was toying with the idea of making up some soup in 1 gallon demi-johns with an airstone in with the Alder cones and drop a couple in the tank, do they sink easy? I just put leaves in so the Ottos and shrimp can graze on them.


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## Lindy (12 Oct 2017)

AverageWhiteBloke said:


> Thanks @Lindy @dw1305 Weather is supposed to be nice this weekend so I think I'll see if I can pin point the trees while I'm up looking for Oak leaves. Been a monsoon this last couple of days and everything is sodden, hopefully if it fairs up a bit I can get some drier leaves. The wood is right beside the river Ehen so should be a good place for Alder, at least I will know where to go later in the year. Was toying with the idea of making up some soup in 1 gallon demi-johns with an airstone in with the Alder cones and drop a couple in the tank, do they sink easy? I just put leaves in so the Ottos and shrimp can graze on them.
> 
> View attachment 110661


They float for a couple of days. I just had a look at the elder trees up here and the cones are still green.

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## AverageWhiteBloke (24 Nov 2017)

Lindy said:


> They float for a couple of days. I just had a look at the elder trees up here and the cones are still green.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk


Are these Alder cones?



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## Lindy (24 Nov 2017)

AverageWhiteBloke said:


> Are these Alder cones?
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my STH100-2 using Tapatalk


The dark ones look like them but not sure what the green bit is all about 

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## AverageWhiteBloke (24 Nov 2017)

Lindy said:


> The dark ones look like them but not sure what the green bit is all about
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk


Not sure myself, haven't seen them before. Thought they'd be bigger for some reason. Just happened to chance across these outside of work.  

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## Finn (24 Nov 2017)

Yeah they are, the long green ones are next year's male (pollen producing) cones I think. Just use the dry ones for your tank. Regarding size, I believe Alnus cordata produces smaller cones than A. glutinosa, though both should be fine to use. If you want an ID for comfort's sake, check whether the leaves are heart shaped (curving back towards the petiole), that's your easiest clue for IDing cordata, otherwise if they're kind of paddle shaped it's *probably* glutinosa. A. cordata is also more common for landscaping, while glutinosa is more commonly found wild, so that's another clue.


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## dw1305 (24 Nov 2017)

Hi all, 





Finn said:


> Yeah they are, the long green ones are next year's male (pollen producing) cones I think


That is the one, the "cones" are this years female catkin and the long green ones the growing male catkins (the look a bit like Hazel catkins).





Finn said:


> Regarding size, I believe Alnus cordata produces smaller cones than A. glutinosa


Other way around,_ A cordata_ has a big cone, but you don't get as many in a bunch as you do with _Alnus glutinosa_.

This is _Alnus cordata_ (Italian Alder)






cheers Darrel


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## Lindy (24 Nov 2017)

AverageWhiteBloke said:


> Not sure myself, haven't seen them before. Thought they'd be bigger for some reason. Just happened to chance across these outside of work.
> 
> Sent from my STH100-2 using Tapatalk


They are pretty small. These are some I dried last year.



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## Finn (24 Nov 2017)

dw1305 said:


> Other way around,_ A cordata_ has a big cone, but you don't get as many in a bunch as you do with _Alnus glutinosa_.
> 
> This is _Alnus cordata_ (Italian Alder)
> 
> ...



Haha cheers Darrell, knew it was something like that, been a while since I've had regular idents.

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## AverageWhiteBloke (24 Nov 2017)

Thanks all, looks like I don't have to go trekking after all. These were on a tree just up the road from me.  

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