Alder tree (Alnus glutinosa) in a pot
Price range: £22.00 through £65.00
Size options
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- 30-60cm tall tree in a 2 litre pot
- 60-90cm tall tree in a 2 litre pot
- 1m-1.25m tall tree in a 2-10 litre pot
- 1.25m-1.5m tall tree in a 10 litre pot
- 1.5m-1.8m tall + £9.95 courier delivery charge – supplied in a 10 litre pot
- Larger trees from 1.8m tall
Home delivery between:
- Description
- Why buy from us?
- Delivery
- Additional information
Description
Alder (Alnus glutinosa)
A tough, fast‑growing native tree that thrives in wet or difficult ground — perfect for pondsides, riversides, wildlife planting and improving poor soils.
Alder is one of the UK’s most resilient native trees, thriving where many others struggle. It loves damp or waterlogged soils, grows quickly, and enriches the ground by fixing nitrogen. With glossy green leaves, catkins and small cone‑like fruits, it provides excellent wildlife value and year‑round interest.Perfect For
- Pondsides, riversides and damp ground
- Improving poor or compacted soils
- Wildlife‑friendly planting
- Naturalistic and restoration projects
Why Choose Alder?
- Thrives in wet or waterlogged soils — ideal where other trees fail
- Fast‑growing and hardy — excellent for establishing structure quickly
- Improves soil quality by fixing nitrogen naturally
- Excellent wildlife value — catkins, cones and foliage support many species
Final Height & Spread
- Height: 18–22m at maturity
- Spread: 8–10m
- Upright, open crown — ideal for naturalistic settings
Growth Rate
- Fast — typically 40–60cm per year
- Establishes quickly, even in challenging ground
Wildlife Benefits
- Catkins provide early pollen for bees
- Cone‑like fruits feed birds such as siskins and redpolls
- Roots stabilise banks and support aquatic ecosystems
Why Buy From Cotswold Trees?
- 5‑star rated independent nursery
- UK‑grown trees
- 100% peat‑free from seed to sale
- Personal service with delivery via our own electric van
- Grown with care by a small, expert team
- Full planting instructions included with every tree
- Plant passport supplied with every order
Alder FAQs
How big does an Alder get?
Alder typically reaches 18–22m tall with an 8–10m spread, forming an upright, open crown.
Is Alder suitable for small gardens?
Not usually — Alder is best suited to larger gardens, wet areas or naturalistic landscapes.
How fast does Alder grow?
Fast growth, around 40–60cm per year once established.
Does Alder need special soil?
Alder thrives in damp, wet or waterlogged soils and will also grow in poorer ground thanks to its nitrogen‑fixing ability.
Is Alder good for wildlife?
Yes — Alder is one of the best native trees for wildlife, supporting insects, birds and aquatic ecosystems.
You may have some doubts about the idea of buying trees online. Let us explain how Cotswold Trees make every effort to meet your needs and the highest quality standards:
Customer focused
We're a small company, with a focus on customer satisfaction and treat every customer order with care and attention it deserves. Our customers often share their positive experience with us.
Careful delivery
Buy a small tree online and your courier delivered trees are tracked and 100% guaranteed. If your tree is lost or damaged in transit we will send another.
To ensure the larger specimen trees reach you in the best possible condition, we hand deliver these ourselves, within the Cotswolds, Midlands and central southern England and we’re thrilled to announce that all large tree deliveries will now be made using our new zero-emissions van. 🌱🚛
Highest quality
Cotswold Trees individually select, nurture, prune and protect you tree over its early life. We always strive to send our customers only the most healthy and high quality specimens. We also work to industry recognised plant health standards and we are a DEFRA registered issuer of plant passports.
Thriving tree guarantee
Your small tree (up to 90cm tall at time of delivery) is backed by our thriving tree guarantee - If your tree is not thriving after 1 year and was planted and watered in line with our recommendations, we’ll replace it free of charge.
Sustainability
It's our ambition is to achieve the highest sustainability standards in production and delivery of our trees.
- We minimise waste in the growing stages, packaging and transport
- Since September 2021 we have moved to Peat-Free compost
- Over 50% of our irrigation is fed by a rainwater harvesting system
- Our tree irrigation and monitoring systems are powered entirely by solar power
- All large tree deliveries are via zero-emissions electric van
Read more about our sustainable approach in our annual sustainability report.
Supplying high quality trees with convenient home delivery at nursery competitive prices
Standard delivery for small trees is only £3.95 per order
Our small trees up to 1.2m are packaged carefully in special double layer cardboard boxes and delivered reliably and safely via Yodel, DPD or Parcelforce.
We ship at least twice a week to ensure you receive new trees within 5 working days and often much sooner. All courier deliveries are accompanied with tracking details. Order more, save more, as the delivery charge is per order not per tree.
Medium trees delivered from £9.95
For some of our range we offer medium sized trees between 1.2m to 1.8m tall delivered by DPD for a flat rate of £9.95 each. As with the smaller trees these are packaged in custom boxes to protect your tree in transit. Most tree orders of this size are dispatched within 5 working days.
Delivering larger trees across the Midlands & the Cotswolds
For trees taller than 1.8m, we offer a reasonably priced delivery service across the Midlands and the Cotswolds. Cotswold Trees are able to bring your chosen trees directly to you at home, often within 2 weeks of ordering using our new zero-emissions electric van.
Our closest delivery zones will see deliveries as quickly as 7-14 days, with outer zones sometimes requiring a longer lead time. Of course, when you place an order, we will communicate with you individually to confirm our next delivery dates.
Additional information
| Size | 30-60cm tall, 60-90cm tall, 1.25-1.5m, 1.5-1.8m tall + £9.95 courier delivery, 1m-1.25m tall |
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