Wrong Alder

Oops, It turns out that rather than the red alder i wanted I went to great lengths to plant a common Sitka Alder on my lawn (see previous post). After I posted proudly on my new red alder I got an email explaining how to tell the difference between the two trees. So today the first thing I did after getting home from the East coast was check on my 'red alder'. It turns out it is not a red alder. I went and picked some leaves from a sure thing red alder and compared them with those of a sitka red alder. They are clearly pretty different and the one on my lawn resembles the leave to the right in the photo. It has a far more serrated edge and does not curl under slightly at the edges like the red alder to the left. Big Bummer. Now what do I do? Do I tear the one I planted out of my lawn? I think I'll try and plant a red alder right next to it. It's a continuing saga. More to come. ... .. Patrick