Hazels

            One of the early spring flowers that I look for every year is on a shrub. Well, actually two shrubs have the flowers I look for first: the Beaked Hazel and the American Hazel. Both have tiny female flowers that are a magenta red and larger, longer male catkins that are yellow. The male catkins show up in the fall but are packed into tight little bundles. In early spring or even late winter i.e. March, the catkins loosen and extend and soon are blowing in the wind.  Below are photos of hazels.

            According to information in John Eastman's book "Forest and Thicket," there are "about four million grains (of pollen) in each catkin." 

            Just wondering, "Who counts the pollen grains anyway?"