After wind fertilisation, the female flowers develop into 2 cm (0.8 in) long dehiscent, woody brown fruits.

[11] Alnus acuminata grows at altitudes between 1,500 and 3,200 metres (4,900 and 10,500 ft) in the mountain ranges in tropical Central and South America from Mexico to northern Argentina.

[10] It is a fast-growing tree, a pioneer species used for watershed protection and can be used for soil improvement because it has root nodules that fix nitrogen.

[14] Providing resources needed for daily living in the region, such as firewood, lumber, and stakes for climbing bean trees, is a further benefit.

[12] Alnus acuminata has been used traditionally in Central and South American medicine to treat acute inflammation.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the anti-inflammatory claims and ascertain whether the substance is safe and non-toxic, researchers performed phenolic analyses.