Alder Pollen Color

Alnus spp.

Alder pollen is shown in the orange and amber color family as general visual guidance. Use this page as a reference for pollen appearance, bloom timing, plant type, bee forage value, and available hardiness context.

Pollen color is highly variable. Lighting, pollen age, moisture, collection method, cultivar, and local growing conditions can all change how pollen appears. Use this as general visual guidance, not a scientific color standard or guaranteed field match.

Visual guideAlder pollen

Photo: Hladac · CC BY-SA 4.0

Plant Facts

SeasonWinter to Spring

USDA Zone2 - 7

Plant TypeTree

ForagePollen

Pollen ValueHigh

Color FamilyOrange and amber

Scientific NameAlnus spp.

Common NamesAlder

Reviewed2026-10-11

Quick Answer

Alder pollen is shown in this guide as an orange and amber tone. It is listed as tree, associated with winter to spring bloom timing, USDA zone 2 - 7, and pollen forage value.

Pollen Color Notes

The visual color shown for Alder is grouped broadly with orange and amber pollen tones. It is intended for comparison and identification support, not as a laboratory measurement.

Pollen color is highly variable. Lighting, pollen age, moisture, collection method, cultivar, and local growing conditions can all change how pollen appears. Use this as general visual guidance, not a scientific color standard or guaranteed field match.

Bloom, Zone, and Forage Context

Alder is listed for winter to spring. The record lists USDA zone 2 - 7; hardiness zones are planning context, not a precise flowering calendar. Approximate bloom months in the supplemental notes: January, February, March, April.

Its forage type is pollen, with pollen value marked as high. Wind-pollinated alders can provide abundant early pollen but no floral nectar.

Identification Notes

Alders are trees or shrubs of moist sites with hanging male catkins and small woody cone-like female structures; the label covers multiple species.

Flower color note: Yellow-brown to reddish catkins. Flower color and pollen color may differ.

Related by Similar Color

Evening Primrose (Common) - Orange and amber Broccoli - Orange and amber Elder - Orange and amber Laurel - Orange and amber Plantain (Ribwort) - Orange and amber Common Beech - Orange and amber

Related by Season

Cedar - Winter to Spring Hazel - Winter Holly - Winter Ozark Witch Hazel - Winter to Spring Snowdrop - Winter Winter Aconite - Winter

Related by Plant Type

Almond - Tree American Basswood - Tree American Persimmon - Tree Apple - Tree Ash - Tree Birch - Tree

Related by USDA Zone

Adam's Needle - Zone 4 - 10 Allium - Zone 3 - 9 Almond - Zone 4 - 8 Alsike Clover - Zone 3 - 8 American Basswood - Zone 3 - 8 American Bittersweet - Zone 3 - 8

Related by Bee Forage

Ash - Pollen Birch - Pollen Broom - Pollen Californian Poppy - Pollen Cedar - Pollen Common Beech - Pollen

Sources

USDA PLANTS Database
United States Department of Agriculture / reviewed 2026-07-12
scientific name, common name, distribution context, plant classification NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
North Carolina State University Extension / reviewed 2026-07-12
plant identification, flower description, landscape and growing context Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Plant Database
The University of Texas at Austin / reviewed 2026-07-12
native plant context, flowering context, pollinator plant notes Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Foundation contributors / reviewed 2026-07-12
plant image, image credit link