Catkins – wind-pollinated harbingers of Spring

Although less flamboyant than flowers that attract insects, Catkins are ultimately designed for wind pollination and signify the end of winter when they appear in early spring.

Salix caprea	Garrya elliptica	Corylus avanllana ‘Cortorta’	Alnus cordata
The stubby, fury, male catkins of goat willow have yellow stamens. Its pendulous cultivar S. Caprea ‘Kilmarnock’ is ideal for small gardens.	A valuable evergreen from California, which is often cultivated as a wall shrub. Male catkins are striking, grey-green, leathery tassels in late winter.	Hazels have pendant male catkins which are a buttery yellow to the eye and grow to about 6cm and appear in late winter, early spring.	The male catkins are yellow-brown and around 8cm long. They are also carried on short stalks.

Choosing organic seed

Organically produced seeds are becoming increasingly more popular and therefore more available to home gardeners.

Organic seed is collected from plants grown under-recognised laws and legislations which include no chemical treatments before or after harvesting. Therefore professional organic growers must use organic seed where it is available.

Seed standards

All seeds must meet stringent criteria. Many are using heat in replace of pesticides and chemicals so as to be approved for organic and non-organic growing.

Please contact us for any further information that you would like to know about Catkins, whether it be a small or large problem we are more than happy to help. Our contact details can be found on our contact page.