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Black Pussy Willow

February 29th, 2016

My black pussy willow is finally starting to get big enough to notice. This plant came to me through a plant swap at the library when we lived in Ohio. It was only a few inches all. After having been moved three times in the past five years, it took it a while to bounce back. This plant will be a stunner when it’s mature, a show stopper in the garden for sure. It does not reside in its final resting place, I have it in a nursery bed at the moment. I’m trying to decide exactly where to put it, perhaps this summer it will finally find a place where it can settle in.
Black pussy willow
Last year I noticed one tiny branch with a few little blooms, his year there are around twenty. It’s still small, only three feet tall or so, but I’m going to prune it back and root the cuttings. It will need pruned so that it develops better shape and I’d like to root cuttings for my garden and to give to friends.  I love plants with history, I love that gardeners swap plants, I love taking starts of plants given to me to give to others, I love that gardeners share a love of sharing plants.  Gift on gardening friends, I challenge you to take starts of at least one plant this spring to pass along to other gardeners, both new and old.

2 Comments to “Black Pussy Willow”
  1. Nebraska Dave on February 29, 2016 at 9:53 am

    Susy, it’s just a natural tendency for gardeners to share their best plants with other. Last fall I received seeds from a friend for Hollyhocks. Hers looked so awesome and I’ve always liked Hollyhocks. My grandmother had them beside a fence near her house. They always remind me of her. I had some good times at her house on the farm when I was growing up. I will start the seed indoors in about another month and put them out after the threat of frost is over. I just might finally have Hollyhocks in the garden.

    Have a great pruning day in the garden.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  2. Julia at Home on 129 Acres on February 29, 2016 at 1:49 pm

    I didn’t know Pussy Willows came in black! Pussy WIllow is at the top of my shrub wishlist. I know they’re supposedly easy to root from cuttings, but I’ve never had any luck with them surviving once I put them in dirt. Any tips?

    Reply to Julia at Home on 129 Acres's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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