Salix discolor

Male pussy willows are noted for producing ornamentally attractive silky pearl gray catkins on leafless stems in late winter to early spring. These catkins purportedly resemble the pads on a cats paw, hence the common name. This species is native from Nova Scotia to British Columbia and south to Maryland, Indiana, Missouri and Iowa. In Missouri, it once reportedly grew in Clark County in the far northeastern corner of the state (Steyermark). Throughout its range, it is typically found growing in moist to wet soils in meadows, swamps and along lakes and streams, but also will be found in some d... more »

Male pussy willows are noted for producing ornamentally attractive silky pearl gray catkins on leafless stems in late winter to early spring. These catkins purportedly resemble the pads on a cats paw, hence the common name. This species is native from Nova Scotia to British Columbia and south to Maryland, Indiana, Missouri and Iowa. In Missouri, it once reportedly grew in Clark County in the far northeastern corner of the state (Steyermark). Throughout its range, it is typically found growing in moist to wet soils in meadows, swamps and along lakes and streams, but also will be found in some drier conditions. This is a dioecious species (male and female catkins appearing on separate trees) that is most often seen as a large multi-stemmed shrub to 6-15 tall, but is less frequently found as a small tree to 30 tall. Before the foliage emerges in late winter (March in St. Louis), male trees produce a showy display of catkins (1-1.5î long) that are pearl gray and silky. Female trees produce smaller, less attractive, greenish catkins. Elliptic to lanceolate leaves (to 5î long) with irregular marginal teeth are dull medium green above and glaucous beneath. Variable fall color is usually an undistinguished greenish-yellow. Specific epithet relates the two different colors of the catkins (males are yellowish and females are greenish). Catkins of this species are smaller than the catkins that appear on the European/Asian native plant commonly called goat willow (see Salix caprea at C146 herein). (less)