One of the first signs that spring is getting nearer and when we are see the the familiar hazel catkin or Lamb's Tail opening up having been present but tightly closed for most of the winter.
The hazel is not the only tree to produce catkins, others do too, most noticeably the alder and other members of the birch family like the silver birch.
The catkin is the male flower of the hazel, its role is to produce pollen which is wind dispersed. The catkin does not produce the well known hazel nut however, that develops from the totally separate female flower.
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