Flowering, Harvest Time and Indoor Care Methods for the Woody Plant Silver Pussy Willow

Silver pussy willow is a common woody plant in northern regions. It generally blooms from May to June and fruits from July to August, and its flowers are covered in fine hairs, making them very attractive. Even kept dry indoors, it can last a long time. So when does silver pussy willow bloom? When is it harvested? How do you care for it indoors?

Flowering time:

In late March the sap begins to flow, in mid-April budding starts, and from late May to early June it enters the flowering period, which lasts about 3 weeks. Young fruit appears in early July, the fruit takes shape in late August, and the fruit ripens in October, with the fruiting period lasting about 100 days. The phenological periods in Xinjiang and Ningxia are similar to those of the Hexi Corridor, while those in central Inner Mongolia are slightly later.

Harvest time:

The winter leaf-fall period is the suitable time for harvesting silver pussy willow, roughly from mid-December to January of the following year. Generally, after farmers cut the silver pussy willow branches in the field, they often pile them up until a certain quantity has accumulated, then send them to a collection yard for grading and packaging. After removing branches that grew poorly or lost too many flower buds, the branches are graded according to cutting length. After grading, the cuttings are tied with bands, packed into boxes and then loaded into containers.

Winter cultivation tips:

Silver pussy willow has the advantages of strong adaptability, a preference for light, cold tolerance and moisture tolerance. Silver pussy willow is more suitable for cultivation in the ground, and it is suited to fertile soil, deep soil layers and moist conditions.

In southern regions it can overwinter outdoors, but in northern regions we need to cut off all the flowering branches of the silver pussy willow before winter. The cut flowering branches can be taken to a cold room and heeled in on a moist sand bed. The indoor temperature must be kept between 1°C and 3°C, and then no further attention is needed.

In January of the following year, transplant them to a greenhouse kept between 5°C and 10°C, place the flowering branches in water to force the buds, and once the flower buds open they can be sold.

Notes on home cultivation

After buying silver pussy willow, you can use scissors to cut branches about 10 cm long, then insert them as cuttings into the chosen pot. You only need to water the silver pussy willow branches thoroughly, then place them in a shaded spot for about ten to twenty days, and you will see the silver pussy willow beginning to take root and produce leaves.

However, once silver pussy willow matures, the flower buds open and then fall off, which not only makes a mess everywhere but also means the flowering period is very short. So it is recommended that those who buy silver pussy willow not add water and instead insert it dry into a vase. Usually this state can be maintained for about one year.