We finally had a sunny day today. This clump of trees looked so red, I had to stop and see what they were. It's a speckled alder, Alnus rugosa. I'm familiar with it, but don't recall the catkins looking so red.
It grows in clumps, usually in the sun. It doesn't like shade.
It gets the name "speckled" from the light-colored lenticels on the bark.
It must just be the timing. The male catkins (the long skinny ones) are very red! The small "pine cone" shaped structures higher on the twig are the female flowers.
They like to grow in damp areas, but will also grow where it is drier.
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6 comments:
Very interesting and informative. Vocabulary builder, too. "lenticel" "catkin"
Thanks, Sharkey.
They survive under severe conditions.
and here I though catkins were the brothers, sisters, cousins etc of cats....lol Oh I crack me up.
Looks like the snow will soon be a thing of the past.
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