Be catkin conscious
WHEN is a catkin not a catkin? Well, that depends on how botanically minded you may be, but it is described as a pendulous spike of stalkless flowers, often unisexual, which have small scale-like bracts. Common examples are found on hazel, birch and willow trees.
At this time of the year an outstanding example is the), whose silver-green tassels will be getting longer each day and by mid-February they are usually fully developed. The male form is usually supplied by nurserymen as the catkins are more spectacular, but if you can find a mate to plant nearby then the green and purple fruits of the female are interesting and rarely seen in gardens.
