Definition of "black alder" [black alder]

• A deciduous shrub or small tree (Ilex verticillata), the most widespread of North American hollies, growing in many variable forms from Minnesota to Texas and Georgia. Also called winterberry. (noun)
• A Eurasian alder tree (Alnus glutinosa) that is sometimes cultivated in North America, especially for its ability to grow in soils too wet for many other trees. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.