Growing Pussy Willows and Curly Willows

Growing Pussy Willows and Curly Willows

Japanese Fantail Willow in early spring

If you’re a gardener, you know that the first signs of spring growth are as exciting as little league opening day.  You haven’t gotten your hands dirty for months, and now the pussy willow catkins beckon you to get out and pull the ugly weeds that survived the winter.  or not.  In my yard in upstate SC, the pussy willow catkins that pop in February are the very first signs of my plants coming back to life.

In March of 2010, I went to the Southern Home & Garden Show in Greenville, SC.  I ran across a booth with an arrangement of beautiful branches that looked a little bit like curly willow branches, but the ends of them curved and they weren’t as delicate.  The company manning the booth, The Happy Berry and Mountain Willow, also had photos of more arrangements that were made using the exquisite branches.  I was hooked.  The branches I was admiring were from a Japanese pussy willow, a Japanese Fantail (Salix sachalinensis ‘Sekka’).  To my delight, they were selling bundles of cuttings so you could grow your own!   I bought a bundle of Japanese Fantail Willow cuttings and a bundle of Curly Willow cuttings, which came with instructions on how to grow them.

Japanese Fantail willow cuttings from the Home Show

Curly willow cuttings from the Home Show

...and then there were roots...

I put them in water and voila, the roots sprouted!  If you’re not a gardener, you are missing out on the pure joy of seeing roots sprout.  It’s like seeing the blue “+” on the white stick!  While still in the plastic cups in my kitchen, leaves sprouted also.  Ecstasy! 

...and leaves...

Since I knew I was moving to our new house later that year, I planted them in Earthboxes so I could move them easily.

March 13, 2010

March 27, 2010.  They grew so fast that I had to transplant most of them
so I ended up with 2 willows in each Earthbox.

Since our new house is 8/10 of a mile down the street, the Earthboxes with my willows in them
went for a ride down the street on the back of a moving truck!!!  August 2010

As the Mountain Willow instructions say, “willows enjoy water like Germans enjoy beer!”   For this reason, don’t plant a willow near old sewer pipes – that may cause a problem.

Knowing that they like sun and lots of water, I planted them in my new yard and have been enjoying them ever since.  If you want branches with catkins on them, you have to cut them in early spring.   

The following grouping of photos are all of my Japanese Fantail Willows

The Japanese Fantail willows are also called dragon tails

My disclaimer is that only 1 out of every 20-30 branches on the Japanese Fantail willow curls at the end, but the normal branches are beautiful too.

I cut these branches and I am holding them in my hand to get a photo

I love to use the willow branches in arrangements.  You can cut branches anytime.  If you cut them during the growing season, you have to let them dry out and eventually remove the leaves to use them in an arrangement. 

Japanese Fantail branches cut during the growing season and dried

Winter arrangement with 3 Japanese Fantail Willow stems

I told you that the branches of the Japanese Fantail willow that don't curl are beautiful too!
 I cut these in mid-February and I live in the upstate of SC

So what do the willows look like in the summer?

Japanese Fantail willow

Japanese Fantail willow

Leaves of Japanese Fantail willow

Young Japanese Fantail willow

Okay, what about the Curly Willows?

My Curly willows have not grown as fast because they need more sun

Curly willow in winter

I also cut my own cuttings to give to family and friends.

Be sure to cut a small hole on the bottom of each cup for drainage

The people at The Happy Berry and Mountain Willow want you to enjoy growing willows too!  Visit their farm in Six Mile, SC!    

Willow fun fact: Poor people at one time often ate willow catkins that had been cooked to form a mash.  Hmmm, no thank you.  I also wouldn’t eat a pansy petal, but I hear they’re edible too. 

I’ve just got to tell you about the good laugh I had with Walker Miller at The Happy Berry. He was concerned that one of his e-mails to me went to my spam folder because the Subject of the e-mail had the words “PUSSY WILLOW”… HA

Happy growing and happy arranging!

…and that’s my 2 cents’ worth, Cheryl

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If you liked this article, you might also enjoy “Mini Flower Arrangements and Simple Arrangements”: http://cheryls2centsworth.blogspot.com/2013/08/mini-flower-arrangements-and-simple.html

Link to The Happy Berry website:  http://www.thehappyberry.com

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