Cottonwood's threads

Running one day I saw these fluffy little snowflakes everywhere.

It's too early for thistles to be out... so I thought, well, it must be Cottonwoods, Aspens. But I could see no catkins on any trees. The fibres are softer than down or baby rabbits or anything man-made could ever be. They were silkier than silk. They were floating around like the tiniest Tinkerbells.

The trees on this side of the copse definitely were not flowering... I decided that next time I would investigate the other Poplars on the far side, to see if they were.

Inside, I looked up and the leaves were like particles dancing before the creation of matter.

But no catkins anywhere. I couldn't walk far because the nettles were so tall and overpowering. On a positive note, these trees do still have some scent to their leaves and they seem to be healthier than the ones where I meditate. In addition, I could see that the fallen tree on this side had grown longer shoots with more leaves.

Once I got back outside, I came across this.

Baby Poplars??

I used an identification app called Seek to see if it could recognise them.

Really??? Maybe it is not fine tuned enough to acknowledge hybrids.

But I did notice that in the trees next to this path, there was one young Poplar next to an older parent of the same age as the plantation trees. These are, I guess, suckers.

And the cotton? Only female trees do this and there are very few female Black Poplars in this country. but I recalled that I had seen catkins on the fallen trees. I thought they were red - signifying male trees - but then I found this.

Somewhere in this copse there is or are female Poplars.

I found some more information on Black Poplars - here and here - but I am sure I am finding hybrids. Well, of course I am. Even so, one day, I will see a Populus nigra.