Pussy Willow

Pussy willow is the first thing to happen in the garden each year. Salix discolor pushes its silver catkins out in late winter, often while snow is still on the ground and weeks before anything else shows signs of life, and they hold on the bare stems for several weeks before the leaves appear. It grows 6 to 15 feet tall and 4 to 12 feet wide in full sun to part shade, hardy from Zone 4 through Zone 8, and it grows fast enough to be useful the second year.

The catkins are the reason to grow it. Soft gray and velvety at first, then opening to yellow as the pollen sheds. Cut stems in bud last for weeks indoors and dry well, which is why they turn up in arrangements every February.

The catkins also matter more than they look. They are one of the earliest pollen sources available, feeding queen bumblebees and early native bees at a point in the year when almost nothing else is open.

Pussy willow grows naturally in wet meadows and along stream edges, so wet ground suits it and it will not do well in a dry site. It responds to hard pruning by throwing vigorous new stems, which is how growers keep the catkin crop coming and how you keep the plant in bounds. Willow roots seek water, so keep it well away from septic lines and drain fields.