The White Alder is a fast-growing  deciduous tree with smooth whitish to gray bark growing quickly to 30 feet then more slowly to 60 feet tall.  This tree provides plentiful shade and a lush green look to your landscape in summer  with interesting silvery bark showing through in the winter. The leaves are ovate in shape  dark green above and lighter beneath about 1 1/2 to 4 inches long.  Greenish-yellow catkins appear in the fall. This is a nitrogen fixing plant  and is very useful in wet areas of the landscape.