Salix gracilistyla Mount Aso (Japanese Pink Pussy Willow)

Salix gracilistyla 'Mount Aso' (Japanese Pink Pussy Willow) is a bushy deciduous shrub boasting a profusion of fuzzy rosy-pink catkins, 1 in. long (2.5 cm). They gradually expand to 2 in. long (5 cm), as they mature, turning silvery gray before covering themselves in yellow pollen. Produced by male plants, they are on display in early spring before the foliage emerges. The lush foliage is handsome with bluish-gray leaves that are silky underneath. This mounded willow makes an ideal focal point in the winter garden, thanks to its arching habit and remarkable display of catkins. Developed by a cut-flower grower in Japan, its flowering branches are in high demand in early spring and look terrific when cut and added to the vase.

• Grows up to 6 ft. tall and wide (180 cm). 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 to increase the branching and bud count.