68 TREES AND SHRUBS 



give a soft but glowing yellow tone to the tree, and 

 entitle it to rank as one of the most ornamental 

 of early-flowering trees. The pendulous variety of 

 Salix Caprcea is known as the Kilmarnock Willow. 

 Although of weeping habit it is somewhat stiff in 

 character ; but towards the end of March and later 

 it is exceedingly pretty loaded with its grey catkins. 

 The flowers of the typical 5. Caprcea (the Goat 

 Willow) are commonly known in many country 

 places as Palm, and are used for decorating churches 

 on Palm Sunday. The slender, coloured twigs of 

 the Purple Willow (Salix purpurea) bear red or 

 purplish-tinted catkins in early April. Salix stipularis 

 may also be mentioned for its beauty when in flower. 



ALDERS 



With the exception of a few species, such as Alnus 

 nitida and A. maritima, which flower in September 

 and October, all the Alders develop their blossoms 

 in February and March. The common Alder (A. 

 glutinosa) and its varieties are perhaps as ornamental 

 as any at that time. Like the Willows, they look 

 best and grow best in association with water. In 

 such a position an Alder at that time, leafless, but 

 laden with its slender, greenish-yellow catkins, is a 

 beautiful object, and characteristic, too, of our 

 English landscape. Other species possessing a 

 similar quiet beauty are Alnus incana, A. viridis, A. 

 oregona, and especially A. cordifolia with its green 

 and yellow catkins. 



