Speckled alders, the wetland bushes and small trees, often are under-valued. Here you see the male catkins hanging from a leafless speckled alder yesterday:
These flower holders are full of pollen now and soon will fertilize the pine-cone-shaped female catkins on the same bush and nearby:
Speckled alders are good looking plant life, in my opinion. More important, their thickets provide cover and browsing for moose, white-tailed deer, rabbits, muskrats, beavers and other animals. Songbirds, including black-capped chickadees, pine siskins, redpolls, goldfinches, woodcock, and grouse eat their seeds, buds, and catkins and many small birds nest in the shrubs.
Although their wood is not considered good enough for human buildings, beavers build dams and lodges with speckled alder. (Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on April 1, 2025.)