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Salix discolor (Pussy Willow)

Pussy Willow, American Glaucous Willow, American Pussy Willow, Glaucous Willow, Large Pussy Willow

Salix discolor, Pussy Willow, American Glaucous Willow, American Salix, American Pussy, Catkins

Salix discolor (Pussy Willow) is a rounded large shrub or small deciduous tree boasting broadly elliptic bright green leaves adorned with bluish undersides. Before the foliage emerges in late winter or early spring, male trees produce a showy display of silky, pearl gray catkins, 1.5 in. long (3 cm), along their red-brown stems. Female trees produce small green catkins. This willow is among the first flowering plants in the spring, the catkins providing a high quantity of pollen and nectar as a food source, to bees, insects or birds. Pussy Willow can be used as a windbreak and hedge. In early spring, its flowering branches are in high demand.

  • Grows up to 6-15 ft. tall (2-5 m) and 4-12 ft. wide (1-4 m). May be cut to the ground every 3-5 years to keep a smaller shrub size.
  • Performs best in full sun in moderately fertile, medium to wet, well-drained soils. Thrives in moist soils, but tolerates somewhat drier soils better than most other willows.
  • Easy to grow, easy to care for and deer tolerant. Keep an eye out for aphids, caterpillars, leaf beetles, sawflies, willow anthracnose diseases and a rust.
  • Propagate by softwood or hardwood cuttings.
  • Prune as needed in late winter to early spring.
  • Native to North America.

Requirements

Hardiness 4 - 8
Plant Type Shrubs, Trees
Plant Family Salicaceae
Genus Salix
Common names Glaucous Willow, Pussy Willow, Willow
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early, Mid, Late)
Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Winter
Height 6' - 15'
(180cm - 4.6m)
Spread 4' - 12'
(120cm - 3.7m)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average, High
Soil Type Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Poorly Drained
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Showy
Native Plants Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Midwest, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northeast, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Rocky Mountains, South Dakota, Southeast, United States, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Tolerance Deer, Wet Soil
Attracts Bees, Birds
Garden Uses Hedges And Screens, Ponds And Streams
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Alternative Plants to Consider

Salix lasiandra (Shining Willow)
Salix exigua (Coyote Willow)
Salix lasiolepis (Arroyo Willow)
Salix nigra (Black Willow)
Salix purpurea (Purple Willow)
Salix gracilistyla ‘Mount Aso’ (Japanese Pink Pussy Willow)

Find In One of Our Guides or Gardens

Create a Garden with Great Winter Interest
Native Plant Alternatives to Salix babylonica (Weeping Willow)
Native Plant Alternatives to Salix alba (White Willow)
Shrubs and Trees with Colorful and Distinctive Twigs in Winter
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
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Requirements

Hardiness 4 - 8
Plant Type Shrubs, Trees
Plant Family Salicaceae
Genus Salix
Common names Glaucous Willow, Pussy Willow, Willow
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early, Mid, Late)
Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Winter
Height 6' - 15'
(180cm - 4.6m)
Spread 4' - 12'
(120cm - 3.7m)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average, High
Soil Type Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Poorly Drained
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Showy
Native Plants Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Midwest, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northeast, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Rocky Mountains, South Dakota, Southeast, United States, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Tolerance Deer, Wet Soil
Attracts Bees, Birds
Garden Uses Hedges And Screens, Ponds And Streams
How Many Plants
Do I Need?
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Salix (Willow)
Guides with
Salix (Willow)
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