Catkins – Susan Rushton

March 3, 2023

Warmer Shades of Brown in the Liminal Garden

Today’s selection of pictures is not exactly wintry, but hardly spring. (What is the equivalent of ‘wintry’ for spring – surely not ‘springy’?) Continue reading “Warmer Shades of Brown in the Liminal Garden”

April 1, 2021April 1, 2021

April Brights: Male Catkins

Male pussy willow: catkin with yellow pollen — Male trees produce yellow pollen

When I happened upon Salix branches strung with yellow catkins, they made me think that bright is relative: on a dull late afternoon, they seemed like tiny candles.

I believe these are either Goat willow (Salix caprea) or Grey willow (Salix cinerea). It’s not easy to tell them apart at this stage while the stems are bare of leaves. Goat willows have broad, round leaves with bent, pointed tips; Grey willows have oval leaves with blunt ends. Continue reading “April Brights: Male Catkins”