The magic of Salix
Pussy willow trees are native to wetlands of Canada and the eastern United States and like other willows, they are part of the genus, Salix. I love pussy willows with their fuzzy catkins. They make wonderful cut arrangements and are true harbingers of spring. Pussy willows grow extremely well in swampy areas and on my farm, they share the wetlands with my weeping willows.
If you have a pussy willow growing and would like to grow more trees, it's actually a very easy thing to do by propagating cuttings. Salix plants contain salicylic acid, which is a natural rooting hormone. Make cuttings about 12-inches long and place the bottom ends in water. After several days, roots will begin to grow, at which point, they can be planted outdoors when all danger of frost is past. You can also propagate cuttings during summer months without rooting them first in water. Simply push the bottom ends of new cuttings right into the soil where you would like them to grow.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
I love my pussy willows! And they are still charming and long-lasting when they are dried!
Posted by: MMC in San Diego | April 24th, 2009 at 12:47 am
Martha, this is great information!! I have one lonely pussy willow in my yard and wanted more yet had no idea how to propagate them and that it would be so easy. Thanks so much!!!and thanks for all your great ideas and information. You are a true inspiration to many.
Diane R.
New Hampshire
White Mountains
Posted by: Diane Roumeliotis | April 24th, 2009 at 8:23 am
Oh Martha I love Pussy Willows! in Germany during the Spring time they are cut and displayed in homes and even in churches...I wish I had one and now will make an attempt to find one to plant..something I have wanted to do for many years. Thanks Martha for sparking my interest and love for this tree.
Posted by: delia | April 24th, 2009 at 8:39 am
Hi Martha:
I just love pussy willows. I don't have pussy willows in the city but where I grew up had pussy willows in the woods. In my church they put pussy willows as decorations. I love that you propagate them and have different types and kinds of pussy willows. They are beautiful.
Linda
Phila., PA
Posted by: Linda | April 24th, 2009 at 10:03 am
How interesting to be able to propogate the pussy willow in this manner. I am wondering if there are any other plants/shrubs that can be propogated in this manner?
Posted by: sherey | April 24th, 2009 at 10:36 am
When my Dad was a little boy he broke a branch from a Weeping Willow Tree on his way home. Like many little boys he played with the branch for a while, then stuck in the ground next to the irrigation ditch on their property. It is now a towering tree. So I guess all Willow's possess the ability to propagate easily.
Posted by: Calli Makes Do | April 24th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Hi Martha,
I love them - send me some please! They don't grow in southern states and I miss them! Trish
Posted by: Trish | April 24th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Hi Martha, I, too, love pussy willows and they sure are a harbinger of spring along with crocus and primroses in our area. Thanks for the reminder of the fact that pussy willows are very easy to propagate. It's still near freezing at night around here,but is supposed to improve soon. Still waiting to plant the more delicate plants. The Arbor Day show is just starting so I need to go watch it. Have a great weekend everyone. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | April 24th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Pussy willow is one thing I don't have here as a sign of spring. But I'm surrounded by blooming pear orchards and magnolias. Good enough!
I'm going to post photos of them on my blog.
http://potsnpies.blogspot.com
Posted by: Pam Regentin | April 24th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
...I'll be darned...I didn't know that this species naturally generated its own rooting hormone, so to speak...no wonder they propagate so prolifically!
Daddy always said when I was a little girl that (on our in-town-lot) we didn't want a weeping willow in the yard, because it's roots would reach for the house's foundation and crack it. They do thrive in swampy areas and are so pretty in the spring as new leaves emerge that magnificent chartreuse shade of green. We always had pussy willows in several grades of elementary school growing up - I guess some of teachers over the years had resources in their own backyards to draw from.
I have meant to comment several times, Martha, that I would've liked to have gotten to know your father, since he was your teacher/mentor/role model in the gardening realm. We as viewers and admirers got to know your mother, like our very own...somehow, I envision your dad as being a quiet, patient man, with this certain tenacity to till and plant the soil with inevitable harvests abounding. I've heard it said many times that gardeners are usually patient individuals, as they are nurturers from the very beginning, throughout the whole growing process.
Warm weather will be arriving in the northeast. Bask in God's beauty around you and enjoy glorious days ahead.
=^..^=
"God spoke! and from the arid scene sprang rich and verdant bowers, till all the earth was soft with green, He smiled; and there were flowers."--Mary McNeil Fenolloso
Posted by: Cindy Bricker | April 24th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
I wonder if that would work on our Southern willow trees here in Georgia?
We have several willow trees in wet areas here on the farm.
It won't hurt to try.
Thanks for the information about propagating cuttings from Pussy Willow trees.
Pam
Posted by: GaFarmWomanPam | April 25th, 2009 at 9:56 am
Hi Martha,
They really are magical, aren't they? Like everyone else, I love pussy willows, too, and miss them terribly!!! :\
Thanks for sharing yours...and how beautiful they will be in a few years when they reach maturity. Something worth waiting for!
Have a nice weekend!
Posted by: tinay | April 25th, 2009 at 10:38 am
Who doesn't love those fuzzy soft pussywillows?? They are such a welcomed addition to a spring floral arrangement. Also,PLEASE tell me where that beautiful sweater with watercolor flowers on it can be purchased that she wore on Fri. April 25th's show--I must have one!
Posted by: Carrie! | April 26th, 2009 at 12:48 am
I love pussy willows. Thanks for your tips!
Posted by: French furniture | April 26th, 2009 at 7:42 am
Thanks for sharing. I never knew they were so easy. Will look nice in my garden.
Posted by: JK | April 26th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
martha i just got my subscription renewal in the mail today with a special of a book containing an index for the recipes in all the everyday food mags. which i think is a great idea, ive wish for such a thing ever since i got my mags just to be able to look up certain recipes.. now it will be easy.
Posted by: CAROLE BAIR | April 27th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
I have a new pussy willow in my yard and my husband thinks it is invzsive. He seems to be worried about its growth rate and pipes.
Posted by: Valerie Kite | May 18th, 2009 at 2:47 pm