Brian Minter: Pussy willow has become a plant of significant interest

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The widespread pussy willow, a member of the salix, or willow, household, is native to many B.C. areas, and it has change into a plant of great curiosity for each home-gardeners and within the floral business.

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The rising development of making reduce flower gardens has many people on the lookout for distinctive crops: one thing slightly past the normal that may be harvested outdoors the traditional rising season. Pussy willows match this class properly as they can be utilized both contemporary or dried to final effectively over a yr as residence décor.

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At this time there are a selection of native growers elevating them commercially, and, like so many different vibrant stems, just like the shrub dogwoods, pussy willows have gotten a much-in-demand floral staple.

There are additionally new and improved varieties being launched, that are actually widening their attraction. The normal silver catkin varieties have been bred to flower earlier. Some, relying upon the winter climate and their location, will now produce catkins as early as mid-December, for the Christmas market.

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The standard of the catkins themselves has modified to supply bigger flowers rising nearer collectively on the stem for a much-improved look. Cautious breeding has additionally intensified the color of the stems producing a lot darker wooden for a extra distinct distinction with the silver catkins.

I bear in mind a number of years in the past on the Pacific Northwest Flower Present in Seattle there have been all types of individuals strolling round with large bundles of pussy willow stems sporting black catkins. The seller on the present was delighted with the response their novelty had drawn. Think about how hanging they might look blended in with a spring bouquet of tulips, daffodils and aromatic hyacinths.

Within the backyard, it’s good to encompass this black selection with silver or variegated yellow foliaged crops for a contrasting look. Variegated euonymous, like Silver Queen, the brand new evergreen golden lonicera, Thundercloud, and even Dusty Miller can elevate the looks of your plantings.

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A Japanese selection referred to as Sekka, with its recurve, fasciate stems, has additionally change into highly regarded. It produces small catkins on its many branches, however the true fantastic thing about this plant is the best way its stems flatten to about 4 centimetres vast. These twisted, curled stems look spectacular in bouquets, floral preparations or by themselves in a vase. Within the winter backyard, it creates an attention-grabbing focus, and an excellent pruning will encourage the event of extra of those distinctive stems.

A number of years in the past, on the world’s largest horticultural present in Essen, Germany, I used to be fairly taken with a brand new selection with sensible pink catkins. Since then, I’ve been on a quest to seek out these crops in North America. I found it was one other Japanese selection referred to as Mt. Aso. A number of collectors had been rising this plant and now some are in circulation.

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Discuss a “wow!” winter plant. The catkins begin out silver, however as they develop, a definite blush pink begins to point out and when mature, they’re a superb deep pink. What a showpiece within the winter backyard, as a reduce stem, or as a shocking accent with reduce flowers. As a companion planting, I might contemplate pieris japonica, particularly among the variegated kinds, or Valley Rose, with its early pink flowers and vibrant new development.

The one problem with so many salix is their fairly vigorous root methods that may change into considerably invasive. This may be managed by root-pruning each few years. This merely means digging a trench about 45 to 60 cm deep across the base of the plant, not more than 60 to 90 cm from the primary stem, thereby reducing the roots again to allow them to keep a extra fibrous, much less aggressive root system nearer to the plant. If you backfill the ditch, add slightly 10-15-19 Flower and Vegetable fertilizer across the drip line to encourage extra compact development, and your entire plant will probably be a lot better-behaved.

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As curiosity in these crops continues to extend, many growers at the moment are grafting them onto a much less energetic root inventory to make them extra garden-friendly. They’re additionally grafting them on to a single taller stalk to create a sexy tree type.

The opposite concern that’s vital is a hard-pruning, yearly, to keep up the plant in a extra compact type. When the catkins have matured and the stems leaf out, they need to be pruned again exhausting, down to 3 or 4 nodes. This may encourage numerous new development for subsequent yr’s catkin manufacturing.

There are lots of types of backyard pussy willows, essentially the most well-known of which is the weeping type, salix caprea “Kilmarnock”. Grafted at varied heights, they make a pleasant specimen tree to be loved year-round, however particularly in late winter when every sleek department is loaded with a collection of great weeping catkins. An previous European follow is to shine a light-weight upward, beneath the tree so all you see within the darkness is a bathe of silver.

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There’s additionally a miniature model of “Kilmarnock”. Reaching about 45 cm tall, it’s changing into fairly fashionable as a patio container tree. The trick is to prune them again exhausting as effectively, to encourage numerous new branches every year.

Pussy willows are fairly hardy, and relying upon the range, they will tolerate Zone 4 or decrease. Their worth as a local species can’t be overstated. When the catkins lastly open totally they’re a tremendous pollinator plant. They’re bird-friendly, however in the event you’re planting subsequent to sure streams or ponds, beware: you’ll discover they’re a favorite of beavers. In addition they present glorious steep financial institution soil retention and are one of many few crops that thrive in fairly moist areas.

Perhaps it’s time to rethink the deserves of pussy willows in our gardens. They’re extra useful than we would suppose.

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