Pussy Willow

As low as $49.49 was $89.99
Availability: In stock
SKU
4874

Fast Growing Pussy Willows Give Showy, Fuzzy Catkins

  • Soft, Fuzzy Buds in Spring
  • Excellent Cut Stem for Spring Arrangements
  • Green Foliage All Season
  • Great Cover for Birds and Privacy
  • Easy to Grow

If you love spring, you need a Pussy Willow (Salix discolor) in your landscape. You'll love it for those cute, velvety willow catkins that grow on every branch before the leaves emerge. If you've ever held a cat's paw and felt the cushy pads on their paws, you'll understand how this ornamental shrub got its name.

The Pussy Willow season starts before some plants even think about breaking winter dormancy. You won't be able to resist touching the soft pads or cutting a few branches to bring indoors. They're long-lasting when cut and are such a beautiful and unique way to appreciate spring so early in the season.

But did you know that this adaptable shrub can also deliver huge benefits in your landscape? Pussy Willows usually grow as multi-stemmed shrubs or small trees. They are native to North America and are easy to grow.

Many birds and other animals love Pussy Willows as a valuable food source, as well as excellent cover. Pussy Willows make great screening plants with dark green leaves that are silvery beneath. They'll give you a wonderfully peaceful sense of serene privacy all season long.

Willows love water and can handle poorly drained wet soil. Use them in a Rain Garden or place them in areas that can flood. At the same time, these plants are quite tolerant of drier, well-drained soils as well. We told you they were easy!

Don't deny yourself one of these very popular native plants. You'll forever associate early spring with its fun, fuzzy buds. Order today!

How to Use Pussy Willow in the Landscape

You'll be out there in your garden harvesting branches of Pussy Willows long before anything else in the garden wakes up. What a magnificent treat for yourself!

Start harvesting the branches in late winter or very early spring. Simply cut an armload and bring them indoors. Then, place them in water and watch those soft and fuzzy buds get larger and longer until the branch is completely covered with soft, light gray fuzzy buds.

This is known as "forcing" the branches, and it's a great way to help chase away those winter blues.

Next, you'll want to dry the branches and use them all year long in dried cut floral arrangements.

Once the furry catkins get large enough, just take them out of the water and drain out your vase. You'll pop the branches back into the dry vase and let them dry. Use several vases to avoid overcrowding. Nothing could be easier!

These can be grown as a cash crop and the branches prepped and sold to local markets. Or, make cute little "posies" with the earliest spring blooms and deliver to family, friends and neighbors. Give yourself and others the gift of spring with this wonderful shrub.

We would also recommend that you use your dried branches in your outdoor containers to create an early spring look. Add Pansies, Daffodils, and Grape Hyacinth and bask in the glory of spring.

Grow Pussy Willows as a hedge along your property line or use as a single specimen in a spring garden.

#ProPlantTips for Care

You can choose many ways to grow this plant. Let them grow to their full height if you need fast privacy. Or, keep them smaller with pruning.

The whole reason for growing Pussy Willows is to cut the stems - so each year get out early and check the progress of the fuzzy buds. As soon as they are the size you like, cut to your heart's desire. By cutting branches you will be pruning your plants keeping them much smaller and more vigorous. New wood produces larger fuzzy buds than the ones from older wood.

Pussy Willows come in both female and male plants. Both male and female catkins are beautifully showy.

The Willow family of plants love water, so they will grow to where the water is. Site 50 feet away from septic tanks and sewer lines. They can tolerate both full sun and partial sun.

You'll be so glad you gave yourself the gift of a Pussy Willow. Order yours today!

Buying Options for Plants

Nature Hills sells a large variety of plants with several options available. Plants are offered in both potted containers and as dormant bare root without soil. Here is a helpful resource to understand your options as you create a beautiful landscape with help from Nature Hills.

Ever wonder what a larger plant will mean for your landscape? Container Sizes are really all about the age of the plant!

Seasonally, Nature Hills offers hand selected, high quality bare root trees, shrubs and perennials. Bare root plants are sold by height from the top of the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may be taller than the height minimums.

  • Popular sizes of select trees are 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, etc.
  • Popular sizes of select bare root plants is 1 foot, 18 inches, etc.

Nature Hills Container Size by Volume

Keep in mind, specific varieties and different growing conditions can affect the rate at which plants grow. Variations in size may occur.

Young Plants to 18 Months
Size Volume
2"x2"x3" Ranges from .18 to .21 dry quarts / .198 to .23 dry liters in volume
4.5" Container Equal to .65 dry quart / .72 dry liter in volume
Sprinter Pot Equal to .63 dry quart / .69 dry liter in volume
4" Container Ranges from .31 to .87 / .35 to .96 dry liter in volume
6" Container Equal to 1.4 dry quarts / 1.59 dry liters in volume
1 Quart Equal to 1 dry quart / 1.1 dry liter in volume
5.5" Container Equal to 1.89 of a dry quart / 2.08 dry liters in volume
4"x4"x5" Ranges from .8 to 1.1 dry quarts / .88 to 1.2 dry liters in volume
4"x4"x6" Ranges from 1.0 to 1.3 dry quarts / 1.1 to 1.41 dry liters in volume
4"x4"x9" Ranges from 1.1 to 2.1 dry quarts / 1.2 to 2.3 dry liters in volume
4"x4"x10" Ranges from 1.7 to 2.3 dry quart / 1.87 to 2.53 dry liters in volume
Plants 18 Months - 2.5 Years Old
Size Volume
2 Quart Equal to 2 dry quarts / 2.2 dry liters in volume
#1 Container Ranges from 2.26 to 3.73 dry quarts / 2.49 to 4.11 dry liters in volume
5"x5"x12" Equal to 3.5 to 4.3 dry quarts / 3.85 to 4.74 dry liters in volume
Plants 2 - 4 Years Old
Size Volume
#2 Container Ranges from 1.19 to 1.76 dry gallons / 5.24 to 7.75 dry liters in volume
#3 Container Ranges from 2.32 to 2.76 dry gallons / 10.22 to 12.16 dry liters in volume
Plants 3 - 5 Years Old
Size Volume
#5 Container Ranges from 2.92 to 4.62 dry gallons / 12.86 to 20.35 dry liters in volume
#6 Container Ranges from 5.25 to 6.01 dry gallons / 23.12 to 26.42 dry liters in volume
#7 Container Ranges from 5.98 to 6.08 dry gallons / 26.34 to 26.78 dry liters in volume

About Plant Sentry™

Plant Sentry is designed to protect both consumers and the nursery trade from invasive plant pests and diseases. Sites that display the Plant Sentry protection badge are protected from consumers buying and nurseries shipping material carrying invasive pests and diseases.

This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.

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Plant Sentry

Shipping

To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.

Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.

*If you have found your zone already, it will be highlighted in the table below.
Color Zone Times
3 Spring 2019
4 Now
5 Now
6 Now
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9 Now
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11 Now

Shipping Rates

At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.

From To S&H
0 - 19.99 24.99
20 - 49.99 29.99
50 - 69.99 34.99
70 - 99.99 39.99
100 - 129.99 44.99
130 - 149.99 48.99
150 - 150+ Approx 28%

Click here to see our full rates

PLANT HIGHLIGHTS

Pussy Willow Is Suited to Grow in Zones 4-9
Growing Zones 4-9
More Information
Brand Nature Hills' Choice
Botanical Name Salix discolor
Mature Height 15 - 25 feet
Mature Spread 15 - 20 feet
Sun Exposure Full Sun
Soil Widely Adaptable
Growth Rate Fast
Flower Color Green
Foliage Green
Pollinator Friendly Yes