Mt. Asama Pussy Willow

Mt. Asama Pussywillow (Salix gracilistyla 'Mt. Asama')

Mt. Asama Pussywillow brings late-winter to early-spring interest right when the landscape needs it most, with showy catkins on bare stems. It also grows into a substantial shrub that can add quick structure and a softer sense of privacy along borders. The branches are excellent for cutting, so you can bring seasonal texture indoors with minimal effort. If you have a spot with consistent moisture and room for a bold shrub, this one earns its space.

Distinctive Features

This deciduous willow is grown for its large, colorful catkins that appear in late winter to early spring, often showing rich pink to rosy red tones before fading with age. After bloom, narrow to lance-shaped green leaves fill in quickly and help the plant function as a warm-season screen. The habit is upright and multi-stemmed, forming a broad, natural outline that looks best when it is allowed to grow without tight shearing. It tolerates wetter soils better than many shrubs, which makes it useful in moisture-prone parts of the landscape.

Growing Conditions

• Sun: Full sun to part shade for best growth and catkin display.
• Soil: Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil is ideal, and it tolerates heavier soils and wetter sites.
• Water: Provide consistent moisture during establishment, then maintain medium to wet moisture for best performance.
• USDA Zones: Grows well in zones 4 to 8.
• Mature Size: Typically reaches about 8 to 10 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide.
• Habit: Upright, multi-stem shrub that broadens into a rounded outline.
• Bloom Season: Catkins appear in late winter to early spring.

Ideal Uses

• Focal Point: Place it as a focal point where the late-winter catkins can be enjoyed from windows and main walkways.
• Screening: Use it as a fast, soft screen along property lines or back borders where moisture is reliable.
• Moist Sites: Plant it in areas that stay consistently damp where many shrubs struggle to thrive.
• Cut Branch Harvest: Grow it where you can easily cut stems for indoor arrangements and seasonal decor.
• Naturalistic Borders: Tuck it into larger mixed plantings to add early-season interest and a looser, more natural texture.

Low Maintenance Care

• Pruning: Prune after the catkins finish to shape the plant and avoid removing the next season's flower buds.
• Coppicing: Cut back hard every 3 to 5 years to encourage long, vigorous stems and a strong catkin show.
• Watering: Water deeply during dry spells, especially in the first two growing seasons and in sandy soils.
• Mulching: Mulch the root zone to conserve moisture and reduce weeds, keeping mulch a few inches away from the stems.
• Monitoring: Inspect for common willow pests and leaf issues and remove affected growth promptly to keep the plant vigorous.

Why Choose Mt. Asama Pussywillow?

• Early-Season Impact: Showy catkins provide standout interest before most shrubs have even leafed out.
• Cut Stem Value: Branches are easy to harvest for arrangements and seasonal displays.
• Fast Structure: Strong growth helps build height and screening faster than many flowering shrubs.
• Moisture Tolerance: Performs well in consistently moist soils and can handle wetter conditions better than many landscape plants.
• Natural Form: Upright, multi-stem growth adds a softer, more relaxed texture to mixed borders and property edges.

Mt. Asama Pussywillow is a practical way to add winter interest, useful screening, and cut-branch value in one plant. Give it sun, consistent moisture, and enough room to mature, and it will reward you with a strong yearly catkin display. A simple post-bloom prune or an occasional hard cut keeps it vigorous and productive for years.