The Catkins Are Attacking Beijing, Again!

Advertisement

You can't miss the floating balls of fluff raining on the capital in the last week. But do you know what they are?

It all began in the 1960s when the government felt the need to give Beijing a fresh, verdant makeover and decided to plant around 120 million poplar and willow trees over the ensuing years. These trees were chosen for their ability to thrive despite cold weather, droughts, flooding, poor soil conditions, and pests and insects, i.e. perfect for Beijing. They had been used across China in the past for a number of purposes, including timber production, agroforestry and for the protection of ecological development. Since then, millions more have been planted.

Catkins: The stuff of nightmares

The cotton-like material is actually a mass of airborne seeds produced by catkins, or aments, prior to the cottonwoods’ bloom in spring, a trait that both the male and female poplar trees exhibit.

The next time you find yourself middle-finger akimbo to the sky, cursing the fluffy destroyer of your fate, calm yourself with the knowledge that the word ‘catkin’ comes from the old Dutch word katteken, meaning ‘kitten’, due to its resemblance to a kitten’s tail. Well, ain’t that cute … Damn you, cursed kitten tails, assassins of sight!

Advertisement

Alternatively, those with a dirty mind may find comfort in the fact that the word 'ament' is taken from the Latin amentum, meaning ‘thong.’

Times are hard for poplar trees

It is also poplars that line the Gobi Desert as a means of blocking sandstorms and reducing the gradual encroachment of the desert on Beijing. I’ll take kitten tails over minute shards of glass to the retina any day.

But why choose to plant a tree that craps everywhere?

Fluff to fire in zero seconds

Well, apart from the aforementioned reasons of hardiness, there doesn’t appear to be any real answer. Maybe it was for the cottonwood’s ability to inadvertently set fire to itself/buses/houses/universities. Fluff keeps people on their toes.

Oh god, it’s everywhere! As well as lodging in the eyes, nose, mouth and throat, the fluff can also aggravate allergies

It may also be that city planners just didn’t bank on there being so much of the darned stuff. There is thought to be a seven-to-three ratio of female to male trees, creating an abundance of ornery orbs and leading the government to try and correct the gender imbalance by uprooting female trees and replacing them with males. Some trees are even given ‘sex reassignment surgery.’ Umm, what? In the simplest scientific terms, research tells me that by cutting off the female tree’s branches, male ones can then be stuck on. Makes sense.

Aww, kitty tails!

So, other than giving the city an otherworldly vibe akin to something out of a Hayao Miyazaki film, plus multiplying the chances of death by bus a thousandfold while riding down Jiaodaokou Lu, there don’t appear to be any positives to having these trees around. But we better get used to them – a poplar can live for up to 100 years.

Since 2017, Beijing has launched a campaign to fight the catkins. 300,000 female willow and poplar trees have been injected with chemical inhibitors to prevent them from forming flower buds and their tree crowns have been pruned, said the municipal park and foresty greenification department. The initial campaign aimed to eradicate the over-proliferation of flying catkins by 2020.

While it hasn't completely eradicated catkins, the amount of "summer snow" in Beijing has drastically decreased. But for those with seasonal allergies, it's about time to visit your doctor and get a refill on your medication because the attack of the catkins is coming whether you're ready for it or not!

Click here and here for tips on allergy relief!

Images: ecns, Wikipedia, AT0086, Beijing News, Mike Wester

Daily Poll

It's more important to spend your high school years...

····

····

····

Seen our latest video yet?

····

····

····

KEEP READING

Advertisement