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Pussy willow produces silver, velvety upright catkins on leafless stems late in winter that are reminiscent of tiny cat feet. Only male trees produce these catkins. Although cuttings of male plants of wild pussy willow make attractive fresh and dried flower arrangements in early spring, the shrubs themselves are hard to cultivate and are subject to many insect pests and diseases. Their branches are also quite brittle.
Anthropogenic (human-disturbed or -maintained habitats), meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes, swamps, wetland margins (edges of wetlands)
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
Pussy willows are one of the first signs of spring. Their fuzzy, gray catkins start appearing on bare branches in late winter, providing a welcome sight after months of cold weather. If you aren’t familiar with what pussy willows look like, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’ll show you lots of pictures of pussy willows so you can identify them.
What Are Pussy Willows?
Pussy willows are flowering plants in the genus Salix, which contains around 400 species of willows They are deciduous shrubs or small trees that thrive in moist soils Pussy willows produce long, cylindrical flower clusters covered in tiny, silky hairs that give them a soft, fuzzy appearance. Their scientific name is Salix discolor.
Some key facts about pussy willows:
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They are one of the earliest flowering plants blooming in late winter or early spring.
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The gray, silky catkins emerge before the leaves unfold.
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They grow across temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
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The “pussy” in their name refers to their soft, fluffy texture, which resembles a cat’s fur.
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Pussy willow branches are popular in flower arrangements and Easter decorations.
What Do Pussy Willows Look Like?
Now that you know what pussy willows are, let’s look at some pictures so you can recognize them. The main identifying feature is the fuzzy, cylindrical catkins that develop on the bare branches before leaves form.
Pussy willow branch with gray catkins
This close-up shows the soft, silvery-gray catkins of a pussy willow branch emerging in early spring. The individual flowers are tiny and packed into the dense, cylindrical clusters.
Pussy willow tree with catkins
Here is an entire pussy willow tree covered in fuzzy gray catkins. You can see how they encircle the thin, naked branches before the leaves unfurl.
The fuzzy catkins of pussy willow branches are often cut and used in floral arrangements and spring decorations. This bouquet shows off their soft texture.
Watercolor pussy willow drawing
This delicate watercolor painting captures the fluffy catkins and reddish-brown branches of pussy willows. The hazy background evokes their early spring blooming season.
Here is a single pussy willow branch posed against a clean white background. You can see the individual catkins and reddish branch up close.
A round wreath made from flexible pussy willow branches shows off their signature catkins. Wreaths are a popular pussy willow craft.
In this extreme close-up, you can see the tiny individual flowers making up the catkins. They almost look like silky hairs up close.
Close inspection of an emerging catkin reveals the tiny buds that will burst into fuzzy gray flowers. This is the early stage before bloom.
This scenic shot shows pussy willow shrubs growing in their natural habitat – along the edge of a forest with a creek running through.
When Do Pussy Willows Bloom?
One reason pussy willows are so anticipated is that they are one of the first plants to bloom in late winter or earliest spring. They are a true sign that the cold weather is coming to an end.
In mild climates, pussy willows may begin flowering as early as January or February. In colder regions, bloom typically occurs in March and early April. They emerge while there is still snow on the ground in some areas.
Pussy willow catkins come out well before leaves appear on the branches. This is a key way to identify them before other trees and shrubs have leafed out.
Where Do Pussy Willows Grow?
Pussy willows grow across the Northern Hemisphere in moist temperate climates. Their native range includes:
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Throughout Europe
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Northern Asia
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Parts of the Middle East
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Northern and Western North America
In the United States, you can find native stands of pussy willows in wetland habitats from the Northeast to the Pacific Northwest. They thrive along streambanks, swamps, meadows, and moist woodlands.
Pussy willows have also naturalized outside their native range in Australia and other temperate regions after being introduced as an ornamental plant. They grow best in zones 3-9.
What Are Catkins?
The fuzzy gray blooms of pussy willows are a type of flower cluster known as catkins. Catkins are slim, cylindrical flower arrangements that dangle from twigs and branches.
Other trees and shrubs that produce catkins include:
- Alders
- Birches
- Hazels
- Walnut trees
- Oaks
- Poplars
Catkins contain either male or female flowers. Pussy willows bear male catkins. Once pollinated by bees or the wind, the female catkins will develop into fruit capsules that split open to release tiny seeds with cottony tufts.
How to Identify Pussy Willows
Here are some tips for confidently identifying pussy willows when you encounter them in nature:
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Look for shrubs or small trees growing in moist areas like meadows, streambanks, swamps, or woodland edges.
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Scan bare branches for fuzzy gray catkins in late winter or early spring.
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Catkins will emerge while the branches are still bare before any leaves.
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The catkins are cylindrical in shape and have a soft, silky texture.
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Gently touch the catkins to feel the delicate hairs covering each tiny flower.
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The branches will have a distinctive reddish or yellowish brown bark.
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Crush a catkin and sniff – pussy willows have a sweet, spicy fragrance.
Fun Facts About Pussy Willows
Beyond being a signal of spring, pussy willows have some other fascinating facts associated with them:
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Pussy willow branches can take root and grow when they touch soil, allowing the plant to spread vegetatively.
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The male catkins produce pollen that is a very important early spring food source for emerging bees, flies, and beetles after winter.
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Pussy willows produce salicylic acid, the natural compound that aspirin is derived from. Chewing the bark may have a similar effect to taking aspirin.
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In the Victorian era, giving someone pussy willow branches was a way to show romantic interest.
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The soft, fluffy catkins purportedly got their “pussy” name because they resemble tiny cats, specifically kittens.
Hopefully this article gave you a good visual introduction to pussy willows. Their fuzzy gray catkins are unmistakable when they emerge along bare branches in late winter and early spring. Now that you know what to look for, you can spot these signs of spring too. Let us know if you need any other pictures to help identify pussy willows when they start popping up in your area!
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
10. Salix discolor Muhl. N
pussy willow. Salix ancorifera Fern. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT; nearly throughout. Fields, roadsides, waste areas, swamps, wetland margins, shorelines.
6×10. Salix bebbiana × Salix discolor → Salix ×beschelii Boivin is a rare willow hybrid known from MA. The plants generally resemble S. discolor, but the leaf blades have thicker texture with weak rugose veins abaxially, the floral bracts are red-brown (rather than nearly black at the apex), and the ovary stipes are 2.5–4.5 mm long (rather than 2–2.7 mm long).
10×12. Salix discolor × Salix eriocephala → This uncommon willow hybrid is known from MA, ME. It resembles S. discolor except that the leaf blades are ± elliptic (vs. elliptic to oblanceolate or obovate), and the marginal teeth are more numerous and relatively sharper. The ovaries show sparse pubescence during flower (vs. densely pubescent in S. discolor and glabrous in S. eriocephala).
10×15. Salix discolor × Salix humilis → Salix ×conifera Wangenh. is an uncommon willow hybrid known from MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. It mostly closely resembles S. humilis in the thicker, reticulate-veiny, and abaxially tomentose leaf blades and pubescent branchlets but has more elongate carpellate aments, longer styles, and longer petioles that are intermediate between the parental species (27–55 mm long, 0.3–0.5 mm long, and 5–16 mm long, respectively, in the hybrid vs. 8–32 mm long, 0.2–0.4 mm long, and mostly 3–7 mm, respectively, in S. humilis).
Plant Profile: Pussy Willows (Salix discolor)
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