The alder is one of the most appreciated and common trees in the entire Andean area. It grows in the valleys of the highlands and eastern Andean mountains, between 1000 and 3,300 meters above sea level, always close to the water.
It was cultivated since pre-Hispanic times. In the textile art of the Ancón, Chancay, Inca, Nazca, Tiahuanaco and Wari cultures in Perú, fibers of brown color have been observed, dyed with the leaves and barks of alder. The ancient Peruvians also used the wood of this tree for the manufacture of long beams used in the construction of houses. And in folk medicine, for the treatment of rheumatic diseases, inflammations and infected wounds.
Cites the chronicler Bernabé Cobo y Peralta, SJ (Lopera, Jaén, Corona de Castilla; 1582-Lima, Viceroyalty of Peru; October 9, 1657) "Aliso is the most general tree found in all the provinces of Peru, the which is born in the temperate valleys of the mountains, of whose wood a large amount is spent in all the buildings of the city of Cuzco and in other parts where stronger woods are not reached ... "Cobo (VI, 2)