03.17.20 Golden Streamers

Drippy catkins, over three inches long, dangle in the light breeze above the chill water of our mountain stream. They slowly release their pollen which will drift along searching for the tiny red female flowers hiding on this shrub’s stem. I believe this is Corylus americana or American Hazelnut. I have seen its unusual young fruit in summers past—two green leaves hinged together around the button of a growing nut, the front edge adorned with an interesting comb-like fringe. This is an American version of the popular European filbert, the nut used to create Nutella chocolate nut butter.

Botanical illustration from the Dictionaire des Sciences Naturelles.