Hazel, I'm looking forward....

My little hazel trees have had catkins!  I have seen a couple of female catkins but no male catkins last year.  Mid February I found a few female catkins 'and' male catkins.

According to my tree bible (Collins' "Complete Guide to British Trees"), male catkins should have appeared in the last autumn.  They should have been short and green, which was why I didn't noticed them at all.  The both female and male catkins, now long and yellowish, have been at branches for almost a month.

I am really looking forward their fat brown nuts this autumn!  Alas, my trees have only a few pairs of male catkins, and only a handful female catkins....

Some 3 or 4 years ago I collected coupons of a cereal company, which has dedicated to British countryside for years, to get 2 baby trees for free.  In a way, I was trapped into the company's sales plot.  Anyway, it was a good cause.  The campaign was called something like 'Grow your own hedgerows'.

Recalling now, I had options of hazel, ash and something else.  Hazel was the only one, which produced 'edible' nuts.  How greedy I was!  Well, I didn't expect it took many years until they are ready to produce their fruits (nuts).

Now, look.  How tiny and beautiful the catkins are, especially female one!

female catkins (0.5cm or less)

male catkins (around 4cm)