Lambs' tails or catkins?

[Monika]

The hazel bushes are showing the first lamb's tails now - or is it catkins?

To me the long, thin hanging trusses on hazels are "lambs' tails", whereas "catkins" are the round fluffy things (catkins = small cats) on willows. My OH thinks the hazel trusses are catkins.

Any thoughts anyone?

[Beryl]

I'm incline to agree with your Monika although we always referred to the round fluffy ones and pussy-willow.

Beryl.

[Motherwoman]

I've always called the long ones on hazel 'catkins' and the short fluffy ones on willow 'pussy-willow'.

[oldherbaceous]

Catkins for me......

[Cider Boys]

I think catkins is the correct term for the Hazel seeds (male ones I think). Lambs tails are the colloquial name for the same as they look like lambs tails and appear at the same time as many ewes start to lamb. I tend to call them lambs tails because that was what my mother always called them and I always did what my mother told me.

Barney

[oldherbaceous]

Aftenoon Barney, i to, always did as my Mother told me...except the bit of advice she gave me about," never getting into a car with a strange woman"
And i would have been far better taking that advice to....

Moving swiftly back onto the catkin subject.