Salix discolor

Pussy willow

Mature Height: 6-15 feet
Mature Width: 4-12 feet
USDA Hardiness Zone Range:  4 to 8
Water Requirements:  Moderate Water
Shade Requirements:  Full Sun, Partial Shade

Pussy willow is a narrow shrub or small tree with multiple trunks and dark gray, scaly bark. The familiar, silvery-gray, furry catkins appear before leaf emergence. The deciduous leaves are broad, bright-green and shiny. The large flower buds burst and expose their soft silky hair or “pussy fur,” easily in the year. Some twigs will produce beautiful golden stamens, while others will bear slender greenish pistils.

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