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Salix caprea



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Salix caprea
Goat willow

Emerging in early March to April, these grayish catkins are dioecious. Most plants in cultivation are males, selected for their showier catkins. The well known "pussy willow flowers" are actually partially opened flowers that are gray, fuzzy and about 3/4" long. These gray partially opened flowers continue to expand to reveal brush-like masses of white stamens with yellow anthers on the males. If you want to keep plant stems with the fuzzy catkins intact, cut plant stems at the partially opened stage and keep them dry. Cuttings placed in water will have their buds continue to expand and the stems will root in the vase.

Opening yellow-white, the moderately showy male catkins are 1 - 1 1/2" long.

The slightly longer but less showy 2" female catkins open green-yellow.

 
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