I didn’t have to look up Pussy Willow in my Field Guide to know what they were.
Every year, in the spring, my mother would put a tall bouquet of Pussywillows in the long green and gold vase in the living room.
I don’t know where she got them, she didn’t buy flowers. And I don’t even know if she really got them every year, but that’s how I remember it.
I do know it felt special, like a Christmas tree without all the hype of the season. They were almost like a secret, appreciated with a quiet subtly.
Though the bush itself is big, the pussy willows catkins that grow in the marsh behind the farm are much smaller than the ones my mother brought home. Today, when I was taking a picture of them, a small branch broke off.
I brought it home and put it in a tiny glass bottle on the kitchen window sill. It’s nothing like the display I grew up with. But I do have a soft spot for those small gray blossoms that always looked more like an animal to me than a flower.
I love pussy willows! Even though I grew up in California, somehow we would sometimes have them at Easter time. We went to a Polish Catholic Church and at Palm Sunday there would be pussy willows as well as palms. Apparently since palms don’t grow in Poland, pussy willows would stand in for them.
Ah interesitng Therese. Now that you mention it, I have a vague memory of palms and pussywillows at the same time.
If you keep the branch in the water long enough it should sprout roots and then you can plant it in the yard. I always loved Pussy Willows – such a happy sign of spring.
That’s just what they are, A happy sign of spring Jill. I’m going to plant that branch!
Maria, I never saw a pussy willow bush and never thought about how they grew. The thought never occurred. I don’t remember seeing them as a child except in school. Are they common to everyone? Thank you for this nudge to research! Veronica
They grow in the northeast and as far west as North Dakota Veronica. I’ve always know about them, and thought of them as exotic. I was delighted when I realized they were growing in the marsh when we first moved here.
I have a fondness for pussy willows too. We are currently on vacation and I’ve been yearning to be home so I could do the same as you with placing some pussy willows in my home. So I’ll enjoy yours for now.
Well that works out well Barb. Enjoy your vacation.
Maria, I’m sure you know, you can root those pussy willow stems in a bucket of water, my mom would often just put them in very moist soil by a pond or stream in early spring. It will take several weeks, but they should take root. Good luck, Jean
I didn’t know that Jean. I’ll do that with the branch that broke off. There’s plenty of moist soil in the marsh. Thanks.