Giant Pussy Willow (Salix chaenomeloides)

No plant heralds in the spring season better than the Giant Pussy Willow with its young catkins that emerge on the first warm days. These plants are some of the earliest pollen and nectar sources for our pollinating insects and help them regain their strength after the long winter months.

I. Appearance and Characteristics 

Salix chaenomeloides is a species of willow native to Japan, Korea, and China. It is a deciduous tree, reaching a height of 10–20 m.

Willows all have abundant watery bark sap, which is heavily charged with salicylic acid, soft, usually pliant, tough wood, slender branches, and large, fibrous, often stoloniferous roots. The roots are remarkable for their toughness, size, and tenacity to life, and roots readily sprout from aerial parts of the plant. The leaves are typically elongated, but may also be round to oval, frequently with serrated edges.

Most species are deciduous; semievergreen willows with coriaceous leaves are rare, e.g. Salix micans and S. australior in the eastern Mediterranean. All the buds are lateral; no absolutely terminal bud is ever formed. The buds are covered by a single scale. Usually, the bud scale is fused into a cap-like shape, but in some species it wraps around and the edges overlap. The leaves are simple, feather-veined, and typically linear-lanceolate. Usually they are serrate, rounded at base, acute or acuminate.

The leaf petioles are short, the stipules often very conspicuous, resembling tiny, round leaves, and sometimes remaining for half the summer. On some species, however, they are small, inconspicuous, and caducous (soon falling). In color, the leaves show a great variety of greens, ranging from yellowish to bluish.

II. How to Grow and Care

Sunlight

The giant pussy willow likes light; full sun is conducive to the photosynthesis of its leaves. The best foliage color appears when there is plenty of light, so plant it in an open spot in the garden that ensures at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. However, it will also grow well in partial shade.

Temperature

The giant pussy willow grows better in a temperate environment, but can tolerate both high and low temperatures. It prefers damp areas, but does have both flooding and drought tolerance. It grows best in a temperate range of 15 to 25 ℃, but can withstand low temperature conditions of about -46 ℃.

The giant pussy willow mostly grows in wetlands beside the banks of rivers. Short-term flooding will not lead to its death. The giant pussy willow is also often planted in water tanks or vases indoors, but it needs to be regularly provided with appropriate amounts of nutrient solution to meet the necessary nutrient requirements for growth. At the same time, any impurities should be limited as much as possible, and the pH of the water should be alkalescent to avoid the plant blackening and spoiling.

Watering

Watering schedule: Twice per week

The giant pussy willow likes water. Once short of water, it will develop yellow leaves and withered branches. In the summer months in particular, seedlings and new plants should be watered on a daily basis. However, mature plants will naturally have a certain amount of drought resistance. According to the drought of the soil, plants are usually watered at about 5 pm every day. If there are many rainy days in its growing season, the soil will already be rich in water, meaning that watering will not be required. If the weather is dry, watering daily can be beneficial. The roots of mature plants have strong tolerance to water-logging, so it is generally not necessary to drain away excess water.

Soil

The giant pussy willow is a highly adaptable plant with low soil requirements. Although it prefers moisture-retentive soils, it will grow well in a variety of soil types, and isn’t fussy about pH. Good drainage is important in clay soil, otherwise the roots may rot, so pay attention to this during the plant’s growth period.

Fertilizing

Generally speaking, in the early stage of giant pussy willow growth, a light fertilizer can be applied 4 or 5 times. A nitrogen fertilizer, such as ammonium sulfate and carbamide, is mainly applied in the growth period. Generally speaking, mature plants do not need too much fertilizer, but some potassic fertilizer, such as calcium phosphate and plant ash, can also be applied appropriately. If a mature giant pussy willow is planted in fertile soil, its leaves will be a healthy green. Fertilization is also not needed if nearby lawns are being regularly fertilized.

Planting Instructions

In general, the giant pussy willow has strong reproductive and adaptive abilities, so seedlings are commonly sold on the market. In addition, the plant can also be reproduced by the use of layering or cuttage. These two methods don’t take much time and can retain the plant’s original excellent properties to a great extent. With the plant’s seeds being so small and light, sowing is considered to be a troublesome way to breed the giant pussy willow.

Pruning

The giant pussy willow grows fast under suitable conditions. Timely trimming of residual, dead and side branches can increase air permeability and light transmittance, so as to avoid providing breeding places for diseases and insect pests. For seedlings and newly-born willows, one main branch should be selected and kept during pruning, while any redundant lateral branches and buds should be trimmed, so that the main stem can grow thick in an upward direction.

For head-removed plants, main branches and new buds in 3-4 directions should be reserved consciously according to personal preference in the cross section, so as to maintain a more graceful shape. Trimming incisions should be smooth and coated with tung oil – this will protect the incision and encourage faster healing. Pruning is best carried out in early spring, late fall and winter.

Propagation

Seedlings can be purchased and easily transplanted, or you can grow them yourself by way of cuttage. The best time for transplanting is after the soil has thawed in early spring. Care should be taken at the early stage of transplanting to ensure a good survival rate. If the transplanting seedlings were purchased, sufficient water should be provided, and an appropriate base fertilizer should be applied according to the soil conditions.

Too much fertilizer is unnecessary for the seedlings, so fertilization in its later growth stage should not be in high frequency. At the same time, watering shouldn’t be too frequent, but this does depend on the dryness or wetness of the soil. Good drainage should also be maintained to avoid rotten roots.

Early spring is the best time for taking cuttings. Plants with faster growth, fewer diseases and pests, and a beautiful natural shape should be selected as stock plants, so that the characteristics of the stock plants can be retained to a greater extent, meaning a better survival rate for the seedlings. Take any cuttings before the plant buds in early spring.

Cut a branch around 15 to 17 cm in length, making the cut oblique to increase water absorption capacity and survival rate. Soaking it in water for several hours can also increase the rooting rate. Insert the branch into the soil at a depth of about 1/3 of its length, and provide sufficient water. Keep the soil moist at all times before it buds.

After budding, the leaf buds at the lower parts of the branch should be removed, and only the buds at the top need to be kept for growing. At the same time, attention should also be paid to weeding and loosening the soil during this period, to prevent weeds from competing for limited resources.

III. Uses and Benefits 

The wood of the giant pussy willow is soft, and its branches are slender enough to be weaved into baskets, crates, bags, furniture and safety helmets. Its bark also contains a tannin that is used for industrial and medicinal products. Many animals often feed on young shoots and leaves, while the leaves of a few specific species can be used to feed livestock or tussah.