pussy willow
Salix discolor
USDA zones3 to 7
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles moderate to wet soil
Size6 to 15 feet tall4 to 12 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Yellow stamens/greenish styles
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Pussy willow (Salix discolor) is a shrub for pollinator gardens, hedges, and rain gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full or part sun and average to wet, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Silky catkins appear before the leaves, and bees gather pollen from the male flowers. Deer tend to browse other plants first. Cut it back heavily every few years to keep growth fresh.
Pairs well with Sensitive fern, Incrediball Storm Proof smooth hydrangea, and Smooth aster.
Native range
North America.