Alnus x spaethii ‘Spaeth’

Are you searching for a substantial specimen tree that offers year-round visual complexity and excellent screening potential for your garden space? Meet the Alnus x spaethii, often known as Spaeth’s Alder, a vigorous tree celebrated for its striking foliage transformation throughout the year.

This handsome tree displays its initial charm with early catkins appearing in late winter, providing vital sustenance for early foraging bees, while its young leaves unfurl with attractive purple-red tones, maturing to a glossy green for summer before richly colouring again with deep red and purple hues in the autumn; its natural habit is broadly conical to upright oval, featuring a sturdy trunk and gracefully horizontal branches, and it does produce modest brown and dark violet cone-like fruits later in the season.

For success in the UK garden, this variety is remarkably adaptable, thriving readily in various soil conditions including heavy clay or moisture-retentive loam, and it performs best when positioned in full sun, though it tolerates some shade and is robust enough for exposed garden locations, making it an excellent choice for wildlife gardens or where robust screening is needed.