Common name: Pussy Willow
Scientific name: Salix discolor
Category: Native Shrub, Common
Sample mature size: 6 m tall, 5 m wide; 20 ft tall, 16.5 ft wide
Sunlight: Full-sun, Partial-sun
Water: Medium-wet, Wet
Soil: Loam, Clay
Blooms: Yellow in April
Natural habitats: Roadsides-ravines, Riverbanks-beaches, Meadow-grasslands
Wildlife benefits: Bees/wasps π, Moths π¦, Host plant π, Butterflies/skippers π¦, Rodents πΏοΈ, Deer/moose π¦
Points of interest: - Host to the Io and Polyphemus moths as well as the Mourning Cloak and Viceroy butterflies
- Deer, rabbits, squirrels and birds feed on the branches and catkins
- Can become invasive due to the root system shooting up sprouts
- Used for erosion control on river banks
- Prone to diseases and pest: including powdery mildew, leaf spots, gray scab and cankers. Insect pests include aphids, scale, borers, lacebugs and caterpillars
