Pussy Willow Flower

Pussy willow branches now in bloom with lovely burgundy flowers. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Pussy Willow Flowers

Every morning when I head over to look at these pussy willow branches, how did I miss knowing about this. The pussy willow branches I was trying to root had another idea: they are in bloom!

When I think of pussy willow blooms, I think of the tiny yellow flowers that spring from the grey flowers in spring. Maybe it’s the memories of vintage pussy willow post cards like this one. My grandmother used to include them in the old books she gave us for Christmas. She would include them as book plates with our names on them.

The vintage post cards I recall included pussy willows where the nubs where actually little cats:

A vintage post card with pussy willows as cats. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I now have two collections of pussy willow branches. One is in a pot in my kitchen, the other was in the basement in a flower vase full of water . According to some of my research, I didn’t need to put the branches in water, they would have lasted a long time just cut.

The point of having them, though, was to try to get them to root so I would have plants to add to my garden later next year.

Willows are supposedly easy to root from cuttings either in water or soil.

I have several pussy willows already growing outside but I want more. Willows are an excellent bee plant. I would like to have a nice larger collection so I can easily take cuttings to enjoy more inside.

I was quite happy watching the cut off branches with the gray nubs until one morning, I noticed something odd. The little grey nubs were slowly popping off, pushed off by a lovely burgundy flower.

I was so intrigued, I decided not to take the risk that they would root in water and quickly potted the pussy willow stems in soil.

Pussy willow branches, now in pots, with burgundy flowers. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Each flower starts slowly, a knuckle of a burgundy bump infolding from under the pussy willow nub.

Here is one of the more developed flowers, which resemble a magnolia bloom.

Pussy willow flowers unfurling on the cut stems. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Every morning there is a new set of burgundy flowers starting to pop. It has crossed my mind that even if these stems don’t root, they certainly have made this fall and winter an interesting one.

I think this one stem has rooted. I now have a new leaf! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Not so fast. As I was turning the branches in my kitchen, I spotted a little brand new leaf. I may now have at least one new pussy willow plant!

Charlotte