Fantailed Pussy Willows

Fantailed Pussy Willows starting to bud in 3′ of snow.

I decided today was the day to trudge through the snow and cut some pussy willows to force indoors. I have two Fantail Pussy Willow bushes (Salix udensis ‘Sekka’ – Japanese Fantail or Dragon Willow) that I started from cuttings off a neighbor’s bush. They are about 5 years old and perfectly happy in a rather boggy bed next to the patio.

The branches flatten and curl in the most unexpected ways!

Every spring I cut the plants back severely (maybe 10″ from the ground), harvesting the wonderfully contorted and curled branches to force indoors. Once the catkins have popped open, I remove the water from the vase and just let them dry. When it is time to start forcing quince or forsythia, I retire the dried willow to a big bucket I have in the cellar. One of these days, I intend to use them as the spokes for a fabulous basket.

Set in a bucket of water, this year’s cuttings will probably set the catkins within a week or so.

 

When I looked on the internet for the Latin name of this plant, I came across a web site that bears further investigation: http://www.bluestem.ca. They list a US address as well as Canadian so this might just be a great source for a huge variety of willow!