Friday, March 30, 2018

Red catkins

In Japan (and our Vancouver, too) the cherry blossoms are turning the parks and streets pink. Here, it's red alder. The pink is darker, a bit greyed, as befits our understated colour scheme, but a stand of red alder in the distance is definitely pink this month.

Because the spring catkins are out.

Male and female red alder catkins

The long, red catkins are the males. Female catkins are tiny and rigid. They will develop into hard cones, about 1/2 inch long; these will stay on the tree until next spring.

Roadside alders, March 2016. Near Keta Lake.

More catkins. The male flowers grow in drooping clusters of from 4 to 6 catkins at the ends of branches.


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