Pussy Willow
One of the earliest blooming plants, even though they aren’t what we traditionally think of as blooms, in the landscape is the Pussy Willow. This harbinger of spring is a deciduous shrub that is native from Nova Scotia through Maryland, Indiana, Missouri and Iowa. Pussy willows are known for their late winter/early spring display of gray, fuzzy catkins. A catkin is a slim cylindrical flower cluster that is usually wind pollinated. Prior to the foliage emerging in the spring the male trees produce a display of long, pearl-gray silky catkins that are approximately 1-1.5” long. This shrub gets its common name from the catkins that are said to resemble a cat’s paw. Pussy willows are dioecious plants, meaning they have male and female plants. Pussy willows are traditionally large multi-stemmed shrubs that range in size from 6-15’ tall however they can also be grown in a weeping form on a standard or pruned to maintain a smaller size. This willow prefers moist soils but is more tolerant of dry soils than other willow varieties. Unfortunately, this is a plant that does have numerous issues that can show up including cankers, powdery mildew, scab and other insect issues however they do make a beautiful shrub in a landscape. Like other willows they do need to be kept away from sewers, water lines or drains as the roots will seek the water.
