Alder is one of the first trees to bloom after a long winter in Russia. In the fields and in the forest, the snow has not yet melted, and on the alder one can already see the first large inflorescences-earrings with yellow pollen.
When alder blooms in Moscow and other regions of Russia
Moscow belongs to the central part of Russia, therefore, the first blossoming catkins-inflorescences on alder in the region and adjacent regions can be seen already in early April (but only if the weather pleases with warm sunny days). If the spring is rather cold, then alder bloom comes a little later: in the middle or even the end of April.
In the more northern regions of Russia (Leningrad, Vologda, Arkhangelsk and other regions), alder begins to bloom in late April and early May. In the southern regions, spring comes earlier, therefore, alder begins to bloom a little earlier. For example, in the Kuban, the first inflorescences on alder can be seen at the end of February, in the suburbs of Rostov-on-Don - at the beginning of March.
It is worth noting that the flowering times given above are approximate, and from year to year these trees can bloom at a later or earlier time: it all depends solely on the weather.
How alder blooms
As soon as thawed patches appear in the fields, the mother-and-stepmother blooms, and with her the alder. If you look closely at this tree, you can see rather long earrings hanging from its branches. Just a couple of days is enough for the once tightly closed inflorescences to open and double in size, change color.
Large earrings, collected in bunches of three to five pieces, are "male earrings" with staminate flowers. As you know, alder is a monoecious tree, so if you look closely, you can see "female flowers", they look like small reddish buds (in the future - "alder cones"). Some people call these inflorescences buds, in fact, alder buds (leafy), although they have a color similar to inflorescences, are always covered with shiny reddish scales.
