Our lovely Ozark witch hazel has finally started to finish up its long wintertime bloom from January to March. Who’s next? Escorting us into official spring, we have our native prairie willow (Salix humilis) and American hazelnut (Corylus americana) shrubs. Prairie willow is an excellent shrub for pollinators who may be active at this time (flies and maybe even some of our early spring native bees!), and the hazelnut is wind pollinated, so it won’t be waiting around for the pollinators. Hazelnut flowers are a pretty fascinating sight; both male and female flowers are on one plant. The male flowers bloom from the dangling catkin structures, and the female blooms are so tiny, but look like a beautiful magenta spider’s legs. Such a welcome sight as we head out of winter!
