Single crystals of L‐alanine have been grown from buffered aqueous solutions and characterised as to their optical quality via wavefront distortion analysis, electrooptical response and harmonic generation efficiency. Refraction indices as well as phase matching loci were found in satisfactory agreement with previously published data for crystals grown in non buffered solution. Estimates for the electro‐optical response are reported for the first time. The experimentally observed crystal habit is discussed in terms of morphological importance (M.I.), which was found to be in disagreement with the predictions of crystallographic criteria based on the interplanar distance dhkl, on the periodic bond chains (PBC) and the attachment energy Eatt. This disagreement is tentatively attributed to the presence of impurities and non‐appropriate supersaturation conditions.