Pussy Willows only bloom for one week and the week is now. While many bring home palms at this time of year, most bring in the pussy willows for the blessing of the home. For as long as I can remember my mom would cut a bouquet of pussy willows along the side of the road as the first flowers of spring. They dry into a beautiful presentation as either long stemmed in a sleek vase or a bushy arrangement. Do not put in water. Its hard to find pussy willows along the roadside these days so I have planted my own for yearly cuttings.

Pussy willows come in white, pink and black. White are the most common.

Pussy willow folklore: Branches of goodwill!

Blessings on your house to protect it for the coming year!

Fertility Blessing!

How the pussy willow got its name:
In Spring, the willow tree develops soft grey buds on its branches known as "Pussy Willow". The name is actually supposed to have its origins in a story about cats. According to legend, a number of kittens were thrown into a river to drown. The mother cat was naturally distraught and so the willow trees along the river bank, held out their branches to the kittens and saved all of them. The idea is that the grey buds being soft and silky, represent kitten fur. Growing a pussy willows can be done in 2 ways. If you can find a bush along side the road, take a cutting and stick it in the moist ground (or start one in water til it grows roots )and plant where you want your plant to grow or purchase an already rooted plant.