Catkin flowers

One of my favourite outdoor pastimes as a child growing up in rural Nova Scotia, was scouting out the best pussy willow patches, or even trees.  

Pussy willows are best developed on Salix discolor. The soft furry structures are actually the immature male flowers, clustered in a catkin. Catkins are either pollen donors (male) or pollen receivers (female).  In willows, the two types of catkins are found on different trees or shrubs. The “pussy willows” form very early, before leaves erupt. Popular in flower arrangements, the tips of branches bearing pussies will last for days in a vase with water.

The willows are fairly diverse in Nova Scotia, ranging from dwarf shrubs of the arctic alpine habitats to large shade-providing trees. What they are not, are ‘bushes’. That non-botanical term refers to willows, alders, cherries and other woody plants often seen roadside. Rightfully woody plants with multiple stems are called shrubs. Those with a single stem or trunk are called trees.

Back to catkins. They are produced by alders, willows and birches. Usually cylindrical, they are flower clusters with no corolla and mostly wind-pollinated. Sometimes only the pollen-producing flowers form catkins or aments. The female flowers may be arranged in a cone or single, like beech or oak.

Immature pussy willows, staminate catkins of Salix discolor, photo by Martin Thomas

Staminate alder catkins, photo by Ross Hall

Staminate catkins, poplar, photo by Martin Thomas