A nurseryman friend gave me a small willow plant as a gift and told me to plant it in my yard. As those things go I was busy around the nursery and didn't get around to planting it for most of the summer. During fall clean up I discovered the liner in a group of Salix Rosmarinifolia and took pity on it by potting it into a larger pot. I would never have given the thing another thought except it surprised me this morning by showing me some amazing flowers! I don't think I've ever seen such an interesting shade of pussy willow before and the flowers are densely spaced down the stem.
The buds are a bright pink colour with the open flowers a buff burgundy shade. What a treat for early spring and I've finally gotten my hands on a few more so I can offer them for sale here at the nursery!
For those who have a smaller yard and will have trouble fitting a vigorous growing willow I suggest cutting them back hard almost to the ground every year after flowering so that you can control the size but still benefit from a welcome crop of flowers in February. Use the stems for basket making or weaving small fences.