Pussy Willows: Endearing Harbingers of Spring

Walking along the river trail furry buds on the willows delight us. The fuzzy "catkins" of willow species are affectionately called pussy willows due to the fact that the catkins look like small kittens. Botanically speaking the smaller species of the genus Salix which include aspen, willows and cottonwood are species that display catkins of various sizes and colors. As spring unfolds we see these male part or catkins appear long before the leaves. Catkins are defined as the scaly spike of flowers of one sex only. Voices of the Valley Floor-a and Fauna unfolds the mystery of the catkin and the natural history of willows in this diary entry.

Photo Pussy Willow - Mountain Willow (Salix monticola) along the San Miguel River, San Miguel County. Photo Credit: S. Gaylord 2020.