Catkins drip off the holm oak trees now like a spider’s web of crochet. Holm oak trees, quercus ilex, are evergreen, so spring does not mean the emergence of new leaves. Holm oak leaves, prickly like holly, fall one or two years after the new leaves emerge [below] and are generally hated in the countryside for their propensity to block drains. Spring is important however for the holm oak’s catkins, which are really its petal-less flowers, drooping willow-like. They remind me of my great-aunt’s sitting room, the backs of chairs and tiny tables draped in delicate crocheted mats. 5 to remember
la candelilla – catkin
la telaraña – spider’s web
el crochet – crochet
de hoja perenne – evergreen [plant]
la hoja – leaf