Comments on: Trees: Birch

By: Lizzie Harper

Lizzie Harper — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 19:22:27 +0000

In reply to Peter Little. Old books are always an excellent way to spend time. x

By: Peter Little

Peter Little — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 19:20:04 +0000

Hi Lizzie thank you for the links. I have found some old reference books on trees and will sit down tonight and have a good bimble through them. Mrs Little thinks I am mad but I know better…..

By: Lizzie Harper

Lizzie Harper — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 23:23:56 +0000

In reply to Christine Bentley.

Hi Christine
Thats a lovely comment, thankyou.

Now, catkins. I can totally see why its easy to confuse Birch and Hazel male catkins (the dangly ones). A good tip might be to look for the female flowers. With Hazel, these look like tiny upright cones with a tuft of scarlet (stigms) at the tip. Birch dont have these, but have upright small green female flowers that look a bit like the long male catkins, but upright not dangling down.. There may also be leaf buds in evidence, those of the Hazel are rounded while the birch has really elegant, pointed and thin leaf buds. Compare these two photos: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2018/12/which-trees-have-catkins-and-how-to-tell-them-apart/. Then there’s the timing of pollen release. With Hazel, clouds of pale yellow pollen are released before the leaves burst out of their buds. With birch, the male catkins release pollen at the same time as leaf burst. https://www.countryfile.com/wildlife/trees-plants/how-to-identify-catkins/ Hope this helps. I think it’s likely that you’ll have a Hazel rather than a birch, but double check And enjoy painting those catkins, no matter what species they belong to!

By: Christine Bentley

Christine Bentley — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 09:45:28 +0000

Hi Lizzie. Like Peter I am becoming obsessed with reading your interesting blogs but also with learning so much about nature that I was never aware of. I wish I had had this hunger for learning when I was at school. Who knows where it would have taken me. I am 67 now, onward and upward I say! Can’t wait for your next blog. Such a lovely way to learn.
Please can you tell me how to tell the difference between Hazel catkins and Birch catkins at this time of year? There is a broken branch in the ditch that the farmer left behind but no leaves yet. I was going to break a piece off before it dies back.

By: Lizzie Harper

Lizzie Harper — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 01:17:46 +0000

In reply to Peter Little.

Dear Peter

Obsessed is fine by me. It’s exactly the same for me, as I research my blogs I get more and more tangled up in the incredible things and amazing interractions that nature presents us with. It’s lovely to know you read the blogs, and appreciate them. Thankyou!

By: Peter Little

Peter Little — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 19:45:42 +0000

Hi Lizzie, oh dear more to take in, I am becoming obsessed with this blog…. change the word obsessed to fascinated 👍

Regards Peter