One of these species is the paper birch (Betula papyrifera) which is very widespread in the valley. It's more of a continental species, occurring across BC in the interior and only in the occasional place on the coast. One of drawbacks of living in an area with fairly significant stands of both red alder and paper birch is that the pollen season can be fairly drawn out because while the red alder pollinates about now, the paper birch is still weeks away, much more closely tied to the phenology of where this tree evolved and that is in the colder, longer winter interior areas. These photos both taken yesterday show the difference in the stages, with the red alder catkins shedding pollen, while the birch catkins are still well underdeveloped.
Sorry allergy sufferers, there is more to come from the trees before we enjoy the rest of the grasses and plants that will pollinate this spring and summer. Grizzly
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