This is a deciduous Alder that has silvery grey bark. The leaves are elliptical, 7–16 cm long and 5–10 cm broad, have prominent parallel veins and mildly toothed on the edges.
The catkin flowers are, unusually for an alder, produced in the autumn and the seeds mature the following year.
Himalayan Alder wood is relatively soft and is often used for making boxes, as a general construction timber and as firewood.
It is frost tender and best used on larger estates, especially in re-habilitating land where it is especially good at fixing nitrogen.