Pussy Willow

In the midst of a long, cold winter there is a plant that is harbinger of spring. This plant is the Pussy Willow. About the middle of January cuttings can be taken to bring indoors.

Just as most gardeners feel that they cannot stand even one more day of winter, the Pussy Willow will provide a touch spring as small catkins appear along the stalk of the cut stems.

Pussy willows develop into shrubs or small trees that will grow about six feet tall at the mature stage of life. As with all willows, the Pussy Willow requires full sun to be healthy. Lots of water is needed to keep this shrub growing at its best. Flowering occurs on the growth of last year, but not on newly grown cuttings or volunteer shoots when planted in the ground.

To bring this early sign of spring into your home and produce your own Pussy Willows, cut healthy branches about mid-January and place them in a vase of water. Roots will appear in three to four weeks and you can plant them in the ground once the weather warms up to about 65° F.

Willows are very easily propagated. Stems of all sizes will root easily. A cut stem of approximately the size and thickness of a pencil is great for a starter inside the house. If propagating directly into the soil, use a stem that is a foot long or more, making sure to have at least two to three buds above the ground where the cutting is set. The cuttings will take off in just a few short weeks. Organic growers have used a tea of steeped branches for many years in starter medium for other plants as a rooting agent.

Composted soil keeps the Pussy Willow as happy as can be, though it is very tolerant to poor soil as well. Willows need a lot of water, so be sure to water your starts on a daily basis to begin with and a good soaking once a week thereafter.

Regular pruning should be done after the willow finishes producing flowers. The lowest branches should be trimmed back from the trunk. This will prevent disease from having a chance to set in on older, possibly damaged woody parts of the plant. Severe pruning will produce longer stems and larger catkins.

An interesting note is that the Pussy Willow produces a medical compound which is the ingredient used to make most over the counter pain relievers! Native American Indians used the bark and roots for painkillers and anti-fever medicines. The medical term for this compound is called salicin.

Note: Take the cuttings from the new growth on male pussy willows, not the older, gray-colored branches.  The end that you want to insert into the ground is the end that you cut -- in other words, the bottom of the stem as it was growing in the wild.