Hardly any other deciduous tree bears such impressive flowers as the willow. The velvety kittens are familiar to almost everyone. It is not uncommon for flowering willow rods to decorate numerous living rooms in the spring at Easter. Incidentally, the willow is primarily used for this purpose, as its blossom is particularly beautiful to look at. On this page you will find further interesting information about the flowering period and the typical appearance of the willow blossom.
The male flowers are yellow (shown here)
features
- are also known as kittens
- hairy
- silvery gray
- Differences between male and female flowers
- depending on the willow species, silky, elongated or round
- appear before the flowers of other deciduous trees
- attract numerous insects
Male and female kittens
Pastures are usually dioecious. You will therefore find either only male or only female catkins on a tree. In some rare cases, both sexes can be found on one tree. While the male catkins usually appear strikingly yellow, the female flowers have a rather inconspicuous appearance. Thus, the willow is dependent on the wind or insects for reproduction.
heyday
Willows blossom before most other trees. The delicate kittens are therefore little heralds of spring. The branches of the willow are also used as an Easter shrub. Some willow species bloom as early as March. The flowers mainly appear from April to May.
bee pastures
Willows attract many bees and insects. On the one hand, as mentioned above, this is important for the reproduction of the tree. On the other hand, the animals also benefit from the early flowering pasture. Since hardly any other tree is in bloom at this time, you will find a good source of nectar here.