Alnus cordata

Italian alder is in the birch or Betulaceae family and is native to southern Italy and the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. It is extremely fast growing, reaching up to 24 m tall.

• Leaves are alternate, simple, horizontally held, finely toothed, broadly rounded and up to 10 cm long and 8 cm across. Foliage is shiny deep green above, light green below, then bronze in late autumn.
• Buds are on long stalks.
• Species is monoecious. Male flower catkins are yellowish, up to 7.5 cm long, and in clusters of 3 to 5 at the branch tips.
• Females are small, red, upright in clusters. They weather into brown woody (non-fragmenting) cones up to 2.5 cm long, in groups of 2 or 3.
• Bark is pale gray, smooth, becoming fissured with age.