Pussy Willow (Salix discolor)
Pussy Willow is a Keystone Plant that hosts the Mourning Cloak, Viceroy, and 425 other species of butterfly and moth caterpillars in our area (nwf.org) including the threatened Canadian giant moth (mnfi.anr.msu.edu/). Its catkins appear very early in the spring, often when snow is still on the ground, making them a critically important blooming species for the earliest of pollinating insects and it is the host plant for 15 different specialist bees (Holm, 2017) (Johnson and Colla, 2023)! Some birds use willows as cover for their nests (Yellow Warbler, Warbling Vireo), while beavers use willow branches in the construction of their dams and lodges (Illinoiswildflower.info) (audubon.org).
Photo credit: Dave Lage (1), John Blair (2-3)
Pussy Willow is a Keystone Plant that hosts the Mourning Cloak, Viceroy, and 425 other species of butterfly and moth caterpillars in our area (nwf.org) including the threatened Canadian giant moth (mnfi.anr.msu.edu/). Its catkins appear very early in the spring, often when snow is still on the ground, making them a critically important blooming species for the earliest of pollinating insects and it is the host plant for 15 different specialist bees (Holm, 2017) (Johnson and Colla, 2023)! Some birds use willows as cover for their nests (Yellow Warbler, Warbling Vireo), while beavers use willow branches in the construction of their dams and lodges (Illinoiswildflower.info) (audubon.org).
Photo credit: Dave Lage (1), John Blair (2-3)
Pussy Willow is a Keystone Plant that hosts the Mourning Cloak, Viceroy, and 425 other species of butterfly and moth caterpillars in our area (nwf.org) including the threatened Canadian giant moth (mnfi.anr.msu.edu/). Its catkins appear very early in the spring, often when snow is still on the ground, making them a critically important blooming species for the earliest of pollinating insects and it is the host plant for 15 different specialist bees (Holm, 2017) (Johnson and Colla, 2023)! Some birds use willows as cover for their nests (Yellow Warbler, Warbling Vireo), while beavers use willow branches in the construction of their dams and lodges (Illinoiswildflower.info) (audubon.org).
Photo credit: Dave Lage (1), John Blair (2-3)
Life Cycle: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial, Shade
Soil Moisture: Wet, Medium-wet, Medium
Height: Up to 25 feet
Plant Spacing: 4-10 feet
Bloom Time: April-May
Advantages: Caterpillar Favorite, Bird Favorite, Pollinator Favorite, Great landscaping plant
Host Plant: Mourning Cloak, Viceroy, and 425 other species of butterflies and moths use this as a caterpillar host plant in our area (nwf.org/)
Specialist Bee: Andrena andrenoides, A. bisalicis, A. clarkella, A. erythrogaster, A. frigida, A. illinoiensis, A. ishii, A. macoupinensis, A. mariae, A. nida, A. nigrae, A. salictaria, A. sigmundi, A. wellesleyana, and Perdita maculigera (Holm, 2017) (Johnson and Colla, 2023)
Beneficial for Endangered or Threatened Species: Canadian giant moth (Andropolia contacta) (mnfi.anr.msu.edu/)
Resources: Holm, Heather. Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide. Pollination Press, 2017
Resource: Johnson, Lorraine, and Sheila Colla. A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators: Creating Habitat in the Northeast, Great Lakes, and Upper Midwest. Island Press, 2023
