Spring is coming, is it going to rain caterpillars?

Audit expert: Li Guangwang

Director of the Natural Education Department of Beijing Children's Palace, Senior Teacher

Spring has quietly arrived, and the inflorescences of a plant that looks like a "caterpillar" and can scare people have begun to fall from the trees one after another. At the same time last year, Western media hyped in March that "China is experiencing a caterpillar rain crisis"...

In March last year, the New York Post published an article titled "China is experiencing a 'rain of insects' crisis, and citizens are asked to take shelter with umbrellas." The report also described: "A video shot in China went viral online, showing that the area was full of small insects, which were scattered all over the cars."

Source: New York Post

In response, netizens called it a rumor and fake news, and started to refute the rumor on the Internet.

Source | Twitter

In fact, these caterpillar-like creatures that have fallen on the car are easy to identify if you look closely. Some friends are familiar with this "caterpillar". Aren't they the willow flower spikes that we saw everywhere on the school playground in spring when we were children? These are not insects or animals, but inflorescences that have fallen from the trees.

The popularity of the Internet has created a world of information explosion, but big data and cognitive differences have also created information cocoons. The "3.15" that just passed was a day to expose consumer traps and false propaganda. Today, we also took the opportunity to "fight fakes" and explore the truth behind this "scientific rumor".

1

What are those caterpillars on the tree?

Source | Sina Pictures

The caterpillars on the poplar are the inflorescence of the poplar, also known as the poplar hanging . This poplar flower is divided into male and female. The male inflorescence is about 10 cm long and has dark red or dark yellow flowers. The female inflorescence is in the shape of a string, with a central axis and many small balls on it. They are olive-shaped at first, then gradually become round, bulge, revealing cotton-like poplar fluff, which floats into the air.

Source: Sina

Poplar is one of the most common plants in my country. It is named "Poplar" because of its rapid growth, tall and straight, and high crown. Poplar is widely planted in Central my country, North China, Northwest China, Northeast China and other regions. It is one of the most widely distributed and adaptable tree species in the world. The trunk of poplar is straight, and the bark is often grayish white. There are green poplar, white poplar, black poplar, euphratica, big leaf poplar and so on.

2

When do poplar trees bloom?

Source: NetEase

In fact, due to different climates, the time when "caterpillars" grow on poplar trees is different in each region. Generally, poplar trees bloom in March. Generally speaking, the flowering period of poplar trees starts in mid-to-late March and lasts until the end of April, when they gradually wither.

This kind of poplar flower is often distributed in Liaoning, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Henan and other places.

When the wind blows gently, the "caterpillar" falls to the ground. Many people were scared to tears by this thing when they were children.

3

Are poplar flowers really edible?

Spring is the season when all things come back to life. It also brings many delicacies to foodies that are not available in other seasons. Some people have even eaten the flower spikes that grow on poplar trees.

Many people pick willow flower spikes and dry them to use in making medicine or soaking them in water . Some people even process fresh willow flowers into delicious snacks.

Some people say that there are many ways to eat poplar flower spikes. The tender ones can be eaten cold, and the older ones can be used to steam dumplings. Some people also wash the poplar flower spikes and chop them into stuffing with pork belly, leeks, etc.

Source: Baijiahao

However, the editor here recommends that all foodies and people with allergies should never eat it . The poplar trees on our city streets are basically white poplars, and the flowers of white poplars are not edible . Many people cannot tell the difference and think that as long as the spike flowers are edible, accidents often happen.

The mysterious "insect rain" in the eyes of Westerners turned out to be false propaganda. It takes only one mouth to spread rumors, but it takes a lot of effort to refute them. At the same time, I hope everyone will be cautious about similar false and fraudulent rumors and maintain an objective and rational attitude towards things.

When you were a kid, did you scare people with "caterpillars" or were you scared?