Plant Details

Alnus cordata

Italian Alder

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Common names

21 names · 17 languages
EnglishYour language
  • Italian Alder[1]
Other languages (16)
Dutch
  • Hartbladige els[1]
  • Italiaanse els
French
  • Aulne cordé[1]
  • Aulne de Corse
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 意大利桤木[1]
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 義大利榿木[1]
Czech
  • olše srdčitá[1]
Danish
  • hjertebladet el[1]
Estonian
  • itaalia lepp[1]
German
  • Herzblättrige Erle[1]
  • Italienische Erle[1]
Italian
  • Ontano napoletano[1]
Lithuanian
  • Širdžialapis alksnis[1]
Polish
  • Olsza sercowata[1]
Portuguese
  • Amieiro-napolitano[1]
Russian
  • Ольха сердцевидная[1]
Slovak
  • jelša srdcovitá[1]
Spanish
  • Aile italiano[1]
  • Aliso italiano[1]
Swedish
  • italiensk al[1]
Sources & name notes (1)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Alnus cordata — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • Italian alder — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.
  • Amieiro-napolitano — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.
  • Aile italiano — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.
  • Aulne cordé — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.
  • Hartbladige els — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.
  • itaalia lepp — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.
  • Herzblättrige Erle — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.
  • Italienische Erle — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.
  • olše srdčitá — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.
  • 意大利桤木 — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.
  • 義大利榿木 — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.
  • italiensk al — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.
  • hjertebladet el — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.
  • Širdžialapis alksnis — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.
  • Ontano napoletano — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.
  • Olsza sercowata — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.
  • Aliso italiano — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.
  • jelša srdcovitá — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.
  • Ольха сердцевидная — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 75376; Alnus cordata.

General information

Scientific name: Alnus cordata
Accepted name (Kew): Alnus cordata (Loisel.) Duby View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1]
Botanical family: Betulaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Alnus (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Italian Alder
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Tree
Catalogue size class: Large
Height: 15.00 m
Spread: 8.00 m
Growth rate: Slow
Foliage: Deciduous

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 5-9
Soil moisture:
Well-drained, Moist, Wet
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Partial shade, Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
None
Edibility rating:
(0)
Medicinal rating:
(0)
Functions:
Nitrogen fixer, Pioneer species, Hedge, Windbreak

Description

Pioneer plants play an important role in nature by growing on barren or disturbed soils. They help to fix nitrogen from the air, improving soil quality and making it suitable for other plants to grow.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/09
Harvest ends: 28/02

Crown

Crown shape: Broad pyramidal
Crown density: Dense crown

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 949920; name ID 6245; Alnus Mill.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 949981; name ID 6294; Alnus cordata (Loisel.) Duby.

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.