Willow buds blooming!

One of my favorite spring events is the blooming of willow flowers. This cotton-ball-like emerging buds will soon elongate and male flowers with yellowish pollen will stick out among the silver hair. The amount of pollen is so enormous that the ground underneath willow trees often gets yellow all over. Pollen produced this time is also a great food source for insects, mammals and birds. Pollen is a precious source of protein and minerals in early spring when other food is yet too scarce.