pussy willow trees

Question

I am trying to find some starts to grow a pussy willow tree with no luck. The nurseries say just get some cuts from a friend. After many calls, everyone tells me they had a pussy willow and it died over the winter. Are they hard to grow or what? I live in NE Iowa. I believe that it is zone 5. Thank you for any information you provide.

Answer 1

There are many reasons that willow trees can perish, including winter injury, and disease (blight, scab or black cankers). Willow trees are designated for plant hardiness zones 4-9 and you are zone 5 so a willow tree should survive provided it doesn’t become susceptible to the scenarios I listed above. I would contact your local nursery and see if they would allow you to purchase a cutting and you might be able to purchase some on-line. Good luck with your search.

Answer 2

You should be able to find a Pussy Willow bare root in your area. Ask for bare roots instead of ‘cuttings’. That terminology may be throwing off your garden centers.

You can most certainly start pussy will from a cutting, but bare roots are a more successful route to go.

This is how I started all 3 of my pussy willow bushes. I would recommend you look for a french pussy willow plant. It will stay a bit smaller for a garden setting. My plants are only 2 years old and have a nice little display of fussy pussy willow.