Common alder (Alnus glutinosa) is an understated European hardwood that’s all about workability. Freshly cut stock starts pale and quickly oxidises to a warm orange-red, giving alder a built-in colour shift that can surprise you if you’re matching parts days apart.
It’s soft, even-textured and machines with very little drama, which is why it’s popular for turning, carving, plywood and general furniture components. Because it takes stain readily, alder is often used to imitate cherry or walnut—though up close it keeps a softer, quieter grain.
Alder’s durability story is counter-intuitive: above ground it’s perishable, but when kept continuously wet it can last a very long time, which is why it appears historically in piles and waterworks. In modern terms it’s best treated as a friendly interior timber with a distinctive oxidation behaviour.