Salix discolor, American Willow, Harbinger of Spring

While our habitat trees were dozing the winter away in their dormant state, the blog also went dormant.  But now that spring has truly sprung, our trees are waking, as we are, to the pleasures of sunshine, balmy breezes, and nurturing rainfall.  Our trees look good in their deer-resistant cages--only a bit of nibble here and there where branches found a way outside cages.

Beloved by children who delight in touching its soft, furry catkins that emerge in early spring, this deciduous shrub or small tree is commonly called Pussy Willow.  It is native to forests and wetlands across Canada and in the northern United States from Maine to Idaho as far south as Maryland.  There are male and female trees.  The male catkins are showier; they are the ones sold in markets and the ones people trudge out in the snow to find, cut, and bring into the house as harbingers of spring. 

Trimming Pussy Willow to make the wreath below

Directions: http://www.bhg.com/gardening/design/projects/make-a-gorgeous-pussy-willow-wreath/

Like other willows, the Pussy Willow is easy to propagate.  Cut ends of wild or a neighbor's branches will root in moist soil in the summer if cuttings about a foot long and as thick as a pencil are taken from new growth on a male tree--the male is the one you want for its  showy catkins.  Or you can root them in water indoors and plant them out in summer.  Do not plant them over a septic field or near water or sewer lines because their roots are invasive.

According to the Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project of Prince Edward Island, willow buds are second only to the buds of poplars as preferred food of ruffed grouse. Beaver, muskrat, red squirrel, and snowshoe hare all include willow in their diet. The leaves are rich in Vitamin C and zinc. Pussy willows are an important nesting site for American goldfinch, while other songbirds use them to a lesser degree. The cover and protection thickets of willow provide are probably of equal importance to wildlife as its food value.

American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) male in breeding plumage, by Wikipedia user Mdf

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, May 2007

Deer also like to eat the branches of pussy willows. All this attention from wildlife has its good side, especially for wildlife watching, but if you don't want your pussy willows damaged, you'll have to protect them.

The willows are a very large family with about 400 species, all of which have abundant, watery bark and sap that is heavily charged with salacin, which is converted into salicylic acid when ingested; it in turn is a precursor of aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid.  People throughout the ages have utilized the willow for healing, tools, and spirituality. Hippocrates wrote of its healing powers in the 5th century BC; it was known throughout the ancient world, and Native Americans regarded it as the cornerstone of medical treatment. The legends and histories about willows span a variety of cultures throughout the world.

The American Pussy Willow has relatives in Europe and Asia with similar characteristics.  The branches all produce catkins well before the leaves emerge, so wherever you find them, they will be used for decorative purposes.  The branches are a favorite of the Chinese for New Year decorations because the new growth represents prosperity; they are bought in the markets, then adorned with red and gold ornaments, which signify prosperity and happiness.  In Southeast Asia, pieces of red, pink, and yellow felt are used.  In Europe and America, the branches have been used instead of palm leaves on Palm Sunday because palms grow only in southern areas.  To this day, the custom endures among some immigrants to North America, including Russian Orthodox and Polish, Bavarian, and Austrian Roman Catholics; the branches are often preserved all year long in families' icon corners.  See http://resurrectionwillows.tripod.com/propagation.html for more information.

Pussy Willow decorated for Lunar New Year

Polish 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.