Salix gracilistyla Melanostachys (Black Pussy Willow)

Salix gracilistyla 'Melanostachys' (Black Pussy Willow) is a bushy deciduous shrub boasting rich purple-black winter stems covered with a profusion of showy deep purple-black catkins adorned with red anthers. The anthers will later turn yellow as they mature. Produced by male plants, they are on display in early spring before the foliage emerges. The oval, glossy leaves are gray-green when young. This mounded willow is a pretty ornamental plant, thanks to its arching habit and remarkable display of catkins. In early spring, its flowering branches are in high demand.

• Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society.
• Grows up to 6-10 ft. tall and wide (2-3 m). May be cut to the ground every 3-5 years to keep a smaller shrub size.
• Performs best in full sun in moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soils.
• Easy to grow and easy to care for . Keep an eye out for aphids, caterpillars, leaf beetles, sawflies, willow anthracnose diseases and a rust.
• Propagate by root softwood cuttings in early summer or hardwood cuttings in winter.
• Prune every 1-3 years in March for colored winter shoots.