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Country diary: Purple catkins light the way towards spring | Oliver Southall
- The Guardian diary notes a line of alders with purple catkins signaling the coming of spring in West Sussex.
- Catkins will soon split open to reveal yellow stamens, acting as lantern guides through late winter darkness.
- Alders are among the first trees to bloom, providing essential forage for emerging bee queens.
- Fertilized female flowers swell into fleshy cones, a food source for hungry finches.
- The diary describes alder resilience, handling wet soils and contributing to post-industrial landscape healing.
- Alders have historical uses in aquatic engineering, including Venice’s pilings.
- The piece links alder ecology to broader topics such as forest ecology and rural wildlife.
- The diary situates alder trees within a broader ecosystem role in West Sussex.
- The article emphasizes the visual and ecological impact of late-winter catkins.
- The diary notes the interconnectedness of alder trees with bees, birds, and other flora.
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