Colorado Photography of the American West

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27 May 2009

Pussy Willows in Rocky Mountain National Park

Pussy willow is a name given to the genus Salix (willows and sallows) when their furry catkins are young in early spring. Before the male catkins come into full flower they are covered in fine, greyish fur, leading to a fancied likeness to tiny cats, also known as "pussies". The catkins appear long before the leaves, and are one of the earliest signs of spring.

These cute little fuzzy buds remind me of my childhood. My Mom was very good at seasonal decorating with whatever grew beside the road and pussy willows were always in a spring bouquet. I used to love to stroke the furry little "paws" and imagine that someday I would have a real kitty.

Do you have a memory connected to pussy willows? Which shot do you like the best? I'd love to hear from you.




If you are interested in purchasing information for Pussy Willows just click the link. Thanks!

13 comments:

  1. They are both lovely, but if I have to choose just one.....the second one - love all that bokeh - makes the photo look soft! Great work, Julie!

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  2. They are lovely! Love 2 also! So soft, I feel as if I could reach out and touch them!

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  3. Beautiful! OK< now on the etsy treasury pictures. I can only get a mini for my favorites or my shop listings. How do I get one to show a treasury?!

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  4. I love pussy willows too! They make me think of growing up in Michigan. I love both photos!

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  5. AnonymousMay 27, 2009

    Very pretty, I love Pussy Willows! I like them both but the second one is my fave!

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  6. Thank you so much for the comments! I'll list the second one in my Etsy shop!

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  7. Found you from blogcatalog "followers" Love your pictures. Check out my blog and follow if you like.

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  8. Joe, love your site. You made me giggle more than once. You have a great sense of humor!

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  9. I love the second picture! They look like I could touch them! I have fond memories of Pussywillows, too! My mother always had pussy willows put out in a vase from our tree!Also, my first cat was named Pussywillow, she was a beautiful grey angora!

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  10. I have a great pussy willow story. We lived in Fairbanks, Alaska and normal temps were in the minus 35 area, but have seen it dip to -70ยบ. Not only was it cold, but we pay the price for the midnight sun all summer and winter is DARK!

    Right next to our backside window we had a pussy willow that put out catkins all winter. I had to show it to everyone who came to see us or no one would have believed it. We finally figured out that most of its root system was below our wood stove and that must have been the cause...but even though there was a scientific reason it still was a miracle to see those soft little signs of hope through those long hard winters.

    thank you for sharing your lovely photos and bringing back that sweet memory!

    (and yes, wine would be lovely...we'll provide snacks to go with!)

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  11. I love pussy willows! My parents have a huge one that grows right outside their front door. The trunks on it are about 7 inches in diameter!
    hmmm....I think I like the 2nd photo better, although they are both lovely!

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  12. TK, thanks for commenting! Your first kitty sounds so sweet and well named!

    Sue, awesome story! You should do a blog on it. I don't think I could handle -35F let alone -70F! It sounds like a miracle anything survives. Thanks for sharing!

    Squirrel, thanks for your input! The second photo is now available in my shop.

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Contemporary photography of the cities, landscapes, flora and fauna of the American West.
Julie Magers Soulen Photography