A large shrub or small tree that wildlife will thank you over and over for planting! Though it grows well in average garden soil, the Smooth Alder, also known as Hazel Alder, is a perfect asset in those wet areas that just don't want to dry up! In the wild, it can be found growing along streambanks, bogs and other bodies of water. It can be grown as a large shrub or lower branches removed to form an attractive small tree that all grown up reaches from 10 to 20 feet in height, depending on pruning. It's attractive dark green and glossy leaves have a wavy, toothed margin and hairy underside, turning to yellow, tinged with red in fall. Another appealing feature are the male yellow catkins (flowers), which are slender, cylindrical and droop in clusters, or the bright red female catkins that are upright cylinders. Female catkins develop into 1-inch long fruiting cones that age to dark brown in the fall, and last into winter, much like pine cones but a lot smaller. Its fruits are highly attractive to butterfly larvae, mammals, and birds which feed on the seeds. Get all the details below!