OF Ohio 



39 



PUSSY WILLOW 



Salix discolor. Muhlenberg 



THE Pussy Willow, probably more than any other tree, 

 tells the people of both city and country when spring 

 is here. During a briet period of spring it gives the chief 

 touch of beauty to the landscape through its fine display of 

 yellow blossoms that are visited by thousands of bees. 



The leaves are 

 simple, alternate, 

 elliptic, 3 to 5 

 inches long, bright 

 green above and 

 silvery white be- 

 low. A distinc- 

 tive feature of the 

 leaves is the wavy 

 margins with 

 coarse teeth. 



The flowers arc 

 of two kinds. 

 Both are arranged 

 in short, stubby 

 spikes. The pol- 

 len - bearing and 

 the seed-producing 

 always occur on 

 different trees. 

 They appear be- 

 fore the leaves and 

 tell us when spring 



is coming. The seeds arc produced in large numbers in 

 hairy, long-beaked, light-brown capsules. 



The bark is thin, smooth, greenish, rarely scaly. The 

 stout branchlets are marked with orange-colored breathing 

 pores. The buds are alternate, ^4 of an inch long, duck-bill 

 like, flattened on inside, dark reddish purple. The wood is 

 similar to that of Black Willow. 



The Pussy Willow is found in moist meadows, and along 

 banks of streams and in other wet places from Nova Scotia 

 south to Delaware and west to Manitoba and Missouri. It 

 is common throughout Ohio, particularly in the northern 

 section. It rarely exceeds 25 feet in height and is of con- 

 siderable value in landscape work, especially along water 

 courses. 



PUSSY WILLOW 

 One-fourth natural size. 



