This Alder, the largest species in North America, is apparently called the Red Alder on account of its reddish bark. It is indeed casting a rich rosy glow, like the old Reddy Brek advert, over our new spring bulb belt, but the warmth is emanating from the profuse, pink-red catkins clothing the tree.
A close up look reveals that in addition to the long, crumbly male catkins, the rigid, upward-pointing female catkins can also be seen alongside clusters of last year’s woody cones.