Alder (Alnus glutinosa)

• Craft: Alder’s soft and lightweight, with a smooth, pale grain that shifts from cream to reddish-brown. It delivers a subtle, mellow tone—ideal for a flute that feels warm and intimate.

• Spirit: Alder carries a protective, intuitive energy, often tied to water and reflection. Its gentle notes wrap around you, fostering calm and inner clarity as they flow. An alder flute might feel like a quiet stream, guiding you into a space of stillness and insight.

• Lore: Alder’s a mystic in UK folklore. Celts called it the “wood of the sidhe”—fairy folk—linking it to the Otherworld. It’s tied to protection; warriors used its wood for shields. In myth, it’s a bridge between worlds, often growing near rivers. An alder flute could hum with that ethereal, shielding magic.