Time for the catkins!

Time for the catkins to open on my corkscrew hazel :) Looks pretty neat this time of year. Frankly, the leaves are ugly and it's not very pretty in summer!

Very nice effect. The lateness of the catkins is not at all like the straight species. This tree is said to be a sport or whatever of Corylus avellana. I grew both this one ('Contorta') and the species for years and tried to cross pollinate them. Never succeded, never got nuts from 'Contorta'. Has your tree ever made nuts? Maybe they are all clones of the original tree in England? Filberts are finnicky about self pollination. They're British, can't you tell.

I've never seen one nut on this one. Probably never will I guess.

Force those catkins inside in winter and you'll have the most talked about arrangement ever!

You know, can't say I have ever looked for them, but I don't recall ever seeing the ever so tiny female flowers on Contorta. Could it possibly be only male? Now go and look you guys. Look for that tiny red spider (the stigma) just emerging out of a bud. That's all there is - no petal, sepals or bracts.

Speaking of catkins, I found these yesterday at Ault Park. I must admit I do not know my Salix, so I have not idea whom they belong to.

Scott

oops, forgot to add the picture. Doh!

Scott

Here's a picture of the whole plant, in case it helps someone identify it.

Scott

Leftwood, mine did bloom for many years. The tree is gone now, victim of Eastern Filbert Blight. The tiny red threads of the female are really quite visible against the brown of the buds. Besides their early spring wakeup, what is remarkable about these plants is that the incipient nut spends weeks after pollination waiting for the leaves to unfold.

The bloom on my C. avellanas was more screwed up this year than ever before. January was mild and brought out some of the catkins. This was the earliest that any had ever bloomed. (Clumps are about 17 yrs. old) The problem was, the catkins were too far along elongated when February turned out to be as cold as January had been warm. The later varieties and the later catkins then held up development until late March, which is the latest I've had them bloom. And then of course there is the little matter of the female bloom peaking before mid-March. Every year I think there will be no nuts. And every year so far they have proven me wrong. Maybe this year?

Hi Scott,

Looks like Salix caprea or a close relative

Resin

Thanks for the feedback, Pete.

Rick

FYI...

If anyone is looking for a Corylus avellana 'Contorta' (aka Harry Lauder's Walking Stick), Song Sparrow nursery (Klehm's) in Wisconsin has them for sale on their own roots, so no suckering to deal with.
Mike

Thanks Resin,

Scott