First flowering

Record this when the petals have opened sufficiently for you to see inside the flower

• Look for a trend setting flowering, not an abnormally early one
   
• Some flowers are in clusters (called an inflorescence), such as lilac and horse chestnut. Please record these when the petals of the first individual flower in the cluster are open sufficiently for you to see inside the flower.
   
• Catkins are tight clusters of tiny flowers found on many tree species including hazel, silver birch and oak. Please record first flowering when the catkins release their powdery pollen.You will notice this on a breezy day, or by lightly tapping the branch with your finger.
   
• Grass flowers are also very small, with numerous flowers in the clusters. Please record first flower when the anthers (a tiny club-like structure), is dangling from one of the tiny flowers. A magnifying glass may be very helpful with grass flowers.
   
• Try to avoid cultivated snowdrops (often planted in gardens), and record wild-type plants (with green tips on the interior petals and one flower per stem) found in the countryside in damp woods, stream sides and meadows as well as shady gardens.
   
• Blackthorn: please do not record cherry-plum, which looks similar to blackthorn in spring, but has different fruit in the autumn and does not have thorns. Instead look for native blackthorn in hedgerows and woodland, it is very thorny and commonly forms dense thickets.