Even before most leaves are out, willows and their relatives are busy making flowers. Pussy Willows are one of the first and most obvious. The soft gray catkins of the male flowers can be seen on the bare branches of willow shrubs.
What to look for:

Fuzzy greyish-white ovals on shrub twigs.
"Pussy willows" are really the male flowers on a certain willow shrub. The soft, furry catkins (catkins are long, thin strands of many flowers) are gray and furry looking when the first emerge. After several days, yellow stamens (the part of the flower that makes pollen) appear. They produce so much golden yellow pollen that it makes a little golden cloud in the air when you bump the flower.

Watch in your neighborhood and around school. If you think you are the first person to see this event, ask your teacher to submit your name to the Wolf Ridge website (see table below.)

Where do Pussy Willows grow?
Canada and the northeastern US. . . .

Pussy Willows are shrubs that grow near water along streams, lakes, and ponds. Salix discolor can grow to 20 feet tall. They are bushy looking, with many stout brownish-gray twigs. The twigs are slightly hairy and brown when they are young. Buds on all willows have only one bud scale. Bud scales are the hard outside covering that protect young leaves and flowers inside the bud until spring.
Why are Pussy Willows blooming a sign of spring?

When you see pussy willows out, you know that the "alarm clock" of spring is starting to go off.

As days get longer, the sun warms the soil under the willows and the air around them. Long, warm days make the flower buds (pussy willow catkins) begin to grow.

As days get longer, the sun warms the soil under the willows and the air around them. Long, warm days make the flower buds (pussy willow catkins) begin to grow.
Cool Facts
Medicine in a tree

Willows contain an aspirin-like compound Native Americans used willow as a medicine like we use aspirin today.

Legend of the Pussy Willow

One day in early spring, a mother cat and her kittens where exploring the forest along the river near their home. A beautiful butterfly drifted past them and over the water. The kittens, being young and inexperienced, leaped into the air to try and catch the butterfly, but instead landed in the swiftly moving water.

The mother cat cried helplessly while her young kittens struggled against the current. The kittens were having a hard time, and she was afraid they would soon drown.

Along the banks grew a wise willow, with graceful branches that bent all the way to the water. The willow, seeing all that had happened, bent its branches further into the water to try to rescue the kittens. Each kitten grabbed with its sharp claws, and was pulled gently to the shore by the willow.

To this day, the willow is honored for its heroic deeds by the tiny fur-like buds that sprout each season as the rivers start to run in spring. (Polish legend)

Think About It!

  1. This spring, look at the color of shrub branches before the leaves come out. The willow family is famous for having colorful orange, yellow, and reddish twigs in spring.
  2. How might willows help keep the soil around a streambank?
Explore the Web
Play Who Wants to be a Treelionaire?, Treevial Pursuit, and more fun and games.
Can you key out a willow ?
Need to solve a mystery tree? See if you can find clues in this on-line tree guide. (Pussy willow is not one of the trees, unfortunately.)
This cool site from Canada has animations and lots more great stuff.
Learn more about trees in these Wolf Ridge classes:
You can also take the Trees and Keys class at Wolf Ridge. During Trees and Keys class, you will travel through the trees and keys course, visit trees and attempt to identify them correctly. You will receive a tropical forest tree seed to plant to remind you of the value of maintaining biodiversity.
Explore the world of plants! Learn about how plants live and grow, why they are so different, and how they are alike. How do plants and animals help each other? Depending on the season, you might also make foods, drinks, perfumes, or dyes from the plants you find. More about our Plant Study class.
Date School Town Observer Comments