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.
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| 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.
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| Roadside alders, March 2016. Near Keta Lake. |
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| More catkins. The male flowers grow in drooping clusters of from 4 to 6 catkins at the ends of branches. |
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