A splash of pale yellow has appeared in the hedgerows. It is the Goat Willow, ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.
So named because goats and other livestock were fond of browsing it and as it is fast-growing and easily coppiced, it was widely used as fodder in past centuries.
These yellow catkins are from a male tree. Goat willow is dioecious, like nettles, with male and female flowers borne on separate plants. The female isnโt as showy, which is common in nature. The males are the peacocks.
It is one of the most important early pollen sources for insects. Hoverflies, bees and early bumblebee queens depend on it, and when so much life gathers in one place it brings to mind a public house, as pubs in the UK are properly called.
The Insect Arms.