A to Z challenge 2023 – H is for . . .
My
theme for this challenge is Nature in all much of her wonderful
diversity. My posts will reflect the fact that I am resident in the south of
England.
All
photographs in this post are the property of the writer.
H is for
Hazel (Corylus avellana) . . .
. . . or more specifically, Corylus avellana contorta
The long
catkins are affectionately called lambs’tails, which they somewhat resemble as
they dance in the breeze. Although they are a rich source of pollen for pollinators,
bees can only collect the pollen in small quantities because the individual
grains are not sticky and actually repel each other.
Developing nut encased in green leafy husk
The hazel is reputed to be a magical tree and in Ireland it is revered as the ‘Tree of Knowledge’. Hazel wands are used for water-divining and repelling evil spirits. In mediaeval times hazel was a symbol of fertility while in some parts of England hazelnuts were carried as charms against rheumatism. Using a hazel twig to stir jam when it’s cooking prevents the fairies stealing it!
A
well-known name for the corkscrew hazel is Harry Lauder’s walking stick.
Harry
Lauder (1870-1950) was born in the
coastal suburb of Portobello in Scotland. He spent ten years as a coal miner
and often sang to the miners to entertain them. They persuaded him to perform
publicly and eventually he was able to become a professional singer and
achieved great success, singing Scottish songs and becoming the highest-paid
entertainer in the world in 1911.
He
performed on stage in full Highland regalia – kilt, sporran, tam o’shanter and
cromach or walking stick, in his case a twisted cane. One of his biggest hits
was a song he wrote himself, called ‘I love a lassie.’
His son
died on the Western Front in 1916 and Harry Lauder devoted himself to
fund-raising for the war effort. He raised vast amounts and was knighted in
1919.
Churchill
called him ‘Scotland’s greatest ever ambassador’ and when Lauder met him as the
House of Commons, he pleaded the case for better treatment for pit ponies.
My second H is also a tree, Hakuro Nishiki, more properly Salix integra ‘Hakuro-nishiki’.
It is a small deciduous tree with very pretty foliage of variegated green, cream and white with pink leaf tips, turning to green and white in summer. When the leaves fall in autumn, the stems shine orange.
Small yellow catkins appear in early spring before the tree comes into leaf.
Finally,
H is for the Holly Blue butterfly (Celastrina
argiolus)
This is a very small butterfly, easily identified as it emerges long before other blue butterflies. It has a darting, restless flight, flying high around bushes and trees. In spring, from March to May it is usually seen around holly bushes, the food plants of the caterpillars.
In the second generation in the summer, between July and September, it is found near ivy, which is the food plant for caterpillars of that generation.
Holly
blue numbers fluctuate greatly because the ichneumon wasp kills the larval
stage. Then, when the wasp’s food supply has been affected, the holly blue
population recovers.
It is a
common butterfly, primarily found in the southern half of the British Isles,
and widespread in England and Wales. If in doubt about the correct
identification, as I frequently am, it is helpful to remember that the Holly
blue has black spots on the undersides of its wings, while all other blue
butterflies have orange spots (but will
I? Remember, that is)
