Although willows are mostly insect pollinated, pollen is also carried by the winds and is another major allergen–dispersed mostly in March. Phenology: Bloom Period: Catkins often appear before or with the leaves beginning in February. Because the pussies, or catkins lengthen as the flowers mature, many pictures you see will not show the tight “pussy” that many people would recognize. They grow quickly and are very useful for controlling erosion along waterways.ĭiagnostic Characters: Many willows form attractive catkins known as “pussy willows.” Branches brought inside may be forced to bloom in late winter. Habitat: Willows generally grow along streams where the soil is moist. In the landscape, they all play a similar role, so it may not make much difference if the willow you plant in your landscape was misidentified.

Add to that, willows will often hybridize naturally in the wild, creating another level of complexity.

Even technical floral characteristics may have some variability, making it difficult even for experts to determine the exact species. Vegetative characters are variable even on the same plant. Exact identification of these trees and shrubs is extremely difficult. Hitchcock and Cronquist describe 38 species in Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Relationships: There are more than 300 species of willow worldwide, mostly in the northern hemisphere.

Willow silverlock