A catkin or ament is a slim, cylindrical flower cluster (a spike), with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated (anemophilous) but sometimes insect-pollinated (as in Salix). They contain many, usually unisexual flowers, arranged closely along a central stem that is often drooping.
What do catkins turn into?
Young catkins appear green before turning yellow. The female flower is a smaller red structure, about 1cm long and with many hair-like structures across the surface. Once this is pollinated, it turns into the brown alder fruit or 'cone' which houses the seeds.
What shrubs have catkins?
To help you to choose, here is my selection of the best catkin-producing varieties to plant now.
- Corkscrew hazel. Corylus avellana 'Contorta' ...
- Purple-leaved filbert. Corylus maxima 'Purpurea' ...
- Spaeth alder. Alnus x spaethii. ...
- Weeping silver birch. ...
- Sweet birch. ...
- Silk tassel bush. ...
- Monkeytail hornbeam. ...
- Blue-stem willow.