Pussy Willow Tree

Facts about Pussy Willow Tree, "Scientific name for Pussy Willow Tree is Salix caprea". Pussy willow trees are native to wetlands of Canada and the Eastern U.S.A. They are willows that bear soft fuzzy buds or catkins on leafless twigs in late winter or very early spring. The Pussy Willow Tree are part of the genus Salix and they belong to the family Salicaceae. They have beautiful shimmering catkins and a very early spring bloom that makes them favored for their ornamental use. The Pussy Willow Tree is identified due to its strong spreading, upright stems, colorful autumn leaves and the purple-brown catkins that appear in March. Its leaves turn into soft yellow in autumn, however, the branches turn red, purple or brown in spring depending on the variety.

Attributes of Pussy Willow Tree

Pussy Willow Tree are dioeciously and they exhibit a first maturity rate. Female and male Pussy Willow Trees should be grown in the same garden to favor pollination. The male Pussy Willow Tree bud earlier than the females. Male catkins yield numerous tiny staminate flowers in the late spring while the female catkins will yield pistillate flowers. Flowers are usually whitish or yellowish. A mature Pussy Willow Tree will have a height of about 15 to 25 feet (4.57 to 7.62 meters) and a spread of about 12 to 25 feet (3.65 to 7.62 meters) that gives this ornamental shrub an oval shape. The Pussy Willow Tree are hardy trees and they are suited for zones 6 to 8.
A Full grown Pussy Willow Tree can absorb as much as 48 pounds (21.77 kg) of carbon dioxide a year. The same Pussy Willow Tree could also produce enough oxygen in a day for two people. In a single day, a large Pussy Willow Tree can drink up to 100 gallons (378.5 liter) of water from the ground and discharge it into the air.
You can tell a Pussy Willow Trees age by the number of growth rings. Growth rings size shows what kind of conditions accrued that year, the temperature and if it was a dry or wet year.

Conditions for growth of Pussy Willow Tree

For excellent growth the Pussy Willow Tree is planted in acidic, loamy, moist, rich, well drained soils with plenty of moisture. Pussy Willow Tree do well in places with full sun exposure but can tolerate partial shade. The Pussy Willow Tree is grown near water lines since its deep roots are invasive when grown in the wrong place.
Pussy Willow Tree leaves are made up of many colored pigments, green chlorophyll hides the colors during the growing season of spring and summer. As days get Shorter and cooler temperatures come in the fall, it cause the chlorophyll to break down and than the other color pigments can be seen.
Pussy Willow Tree growth is referred to as Meristem (The undifferentiated embryonic plant tissue from which new cells are created, as that at the tip of a root or stem). This tissue can be found at the tips of shoots and leaves. Inside the stem growth in thickness occurs at the vascular cambium.
Pussy Willow Trees make their own food from sunlight, carbon dioxide, water, and nutrients from the soil.

Care of Pussy Willow Tree

For pussy willow tree to grow optimally, the soil should be supplemented with peat moss, leaf mold or compost. Lower branches should be pruned regularly and it is normally done after blooming. Pruning is done after flowers from the previous season have faded. The Pussy Willow Tree can also be cut back to original stump every two to three years to avoid long trees due to pruning.
Pussy Willow Tree roots usually grow two to three times the width of the tree branches. The ideal time to fertilize your Tree is in late fall or early spring. If you want to transplant a Pussy Willow Tree do it in fall, this is ideal for most trees.
Bark of the Pussy Willow Tree protects it from the elements and is made up of dead cells.