While colours in the landscape may be much less obvious at this time of year, take a closer look and it’s surprising what you can find. Look out for long male alder catkins, distinctively dusted in purple, hanging on the tops of twigs.
Next to them you should see the much shorter female purple catkins too. These female catkins will go on to develop into the woody cones that can often be seen hanging on the tree all year round. Alder is the only native deciduous tree to produce woody cones.
To increase your chances of seeing alder, take a walk along a river, stream or lake as these trees thrive on damp, often waterlogged ground.