Rosegold pussy willow is an East Asian willow shrub grown in American gardens for its silvery-gray , which are flecked with red and then turn yellow as the pollen comes out in early spring. It is native to Japan, Korea, and China.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A deciduous, spreading shrub, usually 3–10 ft (1–3 m) tall.
- Leaves
- Leaves are about 2–5 in (5–12 cm) long, silky and pale beneath, with many prominent parallel veins.
- Flowers
- Male and female flowers are on separate plants. Male catkins are about 1–1.5 in (2.5–4 cm) long, gray tinged with red, and appear on bare branches.
- Flowering time
- March–April in the Chicago area (Illinois).
Look-alikes
American pussy willow is a native shrub or small tree up to about 20 ft (6 m) that grows wild across the northern U.S.; its oval leaves are green above and gray-white beneath. Rosegold pussy willow stays a smaller shrub, its leaves are narrower with many conspicuous parallel veins, and its male catkins look gray tinged with red.
Why they get mixed upBoth are sold as 'pussy willow' and open silky, silvery catkins on bare branches in early spring.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- streambanks
- gardens
- Range
- Native to Japan, Korea, and northeastern China. In the U.S. it is a garden plant.
- Preferred conditions
- In its native range it grows right along streams and rivers, closer to the water than most other willows.
- Flowering
Flowers Mar–Apr
Flowers Mar–Apr
Growing it
- Care
- Rated hardy in USDA zones 5–8. Like other willows, it suits wet spots and can help control erosion along streams and ponds. Deer tend to leave it alone, and an overgrown plant can be cut back hard to regrow from the base. Cultivated plants are generally male, so female catkins are rarely seen in gardens.
Name and classification
- Varieties and forms
- A form with blackish-red catkins (f. melanostachys) is also grown.
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