On a couple of days last week dense yellow fog rolled up the slopes of the pine plantation at the top of valley which forms our inlet or bay.
It was fleeting, dispersing on wafts of breeze, and I didn't have a camera about me on either time that I saw it. Given the photographic record above I doubt I would have captured the yellow anyway and it would have looked like just another wisp of cloud lurking in alcoves of the hills. Pollen has, however, settled on everything and a light rain one evening washed it into puddles, into streaks on windows, collected it at the drip line of shed roofs, on windowsills and ledges, and the bottom of downpipes
Pine plantations are big business in this region so there's a lot of pollen. I'm told that Marlborough has a second 'pollen event' when the grapes are flowering.
A PS added after this was drafted and we had another day of mass release pine pollen
Pine blossom honey is nice..if you like tree flower honey
ReplyDeleteOur bees made honey from our lime trees - Tilia (Linden) and it was gorgeous. I didn't know bees went to pine trees because its wind pollinated not insect pollinated.
DeleteOh my lord- that makes my eyes burn! How can anyone breath in all of that yellow fog? I would be dead.
ReplyDeleteYou've captured the clouds of pollen well. It's rather wonderful. We get an abundance of pollen from our Sitka spruces on the coast of Northern California.
ReplyDeleteSitka spruce - they make beautiful plantations. we seldom have them here. Our commercial forestry is almost entirely focussed on Radiata pine.
DeleteI'd had pine honey from Greece I think... but another tree honey, Chestnut , from Spain ,is delicious! ..and it came in a lovely ceramic jar as well 😊
ReplyDeleteChestnut honey is very dark if i recall correctly - and a strong flavour.
DeleteWe get pollen like that some years. Everything is covered in the yellow stuff. It's not quite as hard to get rid of as orange Saharan dust. Terrible for those with allergies
ReplyDeleteI agree that dust (and at times fine ash) were forever making my bare feet feel dusty dry on our balcony.
DeleteThat fog looks quite noxious, especially to this hay fever sufferer 🫣
ReplyDeleteWould be if your allergy was pine pollen. If you visit avoid early spring.
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteThat last shot in particular is excellent - quite the event. My asthma threatened to kick in just looking at it! YAM xx
Those mass pollen release events last a few minutes but I guess the stuff remains disperded in the air for longer.
DeleteDispersed - left handed typing while stirring porridge
DeleteThat is phenomenal. I've seen clouds of pollen from the conifers in the woods, but not as spectacular as that.
ReplyDeleteI know how the pollen looks, this happens here each spring, but we don't have beautiful mountains to see the clouds like this. When Beau and I walk, it lines the puddles and sidewalks. you did show the yellow in the last photos. Please tell Scully, I love him and would grab him up as mine if I could..
ReplyDeleteMessage has been conveyed to Scully who asks: Do you have rabbits I can chase?
DeleteMother Nature is truly wonderful. Even though it looks spectacular I’m sure it’s a pain for everyone having to clean that bright yellow pollen off everything
ReplyDeleteDepends how much you hate it I suppose.
DeleteWow and I thought our Spring pollen was bad!!! Yours is almost like a pollen fog. My nose is getting stuffy just seeing it. Thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteOh my, I know quite a few people that would be miserable with all that pollen hanging around. It almost looks like smoke!
ReplyDeleteThat surge release only lasts a minute or two and only a day or two a week for a couple of weeks.
DeleteI've been noticing it on my car most days, it's the number 1 reason for hayfever allergies for me.
ReplyDelete