Salix Gracilistyla Mount Aso Pussy Willow

Salix Gracilistyla Mount Aso, or Rose Gold Pussy Willow, is a beautiful harbinger of spring as the catkins of late winter emerge! This hardy medium size shrub stout grey young shoots will provide garden interest at a time when little else is happening.

Salix Gracilistyla Mount Aso is a variety of Salix or Willow selected in Japan by a grower of cut flowers, and so you can expect it to put on a highly decorative show - and it does not disappoint! In late winter, the unique 2.5 cm red-pink silky catkins of Rose Gold Pussy Willow emerge. The leaves that follow are narrow and bluish-grey with a silky underside, and remain fresh-looking and attractive until late autumn. Like all pussy willows, it is easy to force blooms indoors by cutting stems and placing in water indoors as early as January.  The Mount Aso cultivar is a multi-stemmed, deciduous, male shrub with upright, wide-spreading stems.

Fully hardy in the UK, Rose Gold Pussy Willow will grow to a mature height of 4.5 metres and spread of 3 metres. It is highly recommended to coppice the plants every 2-3 years to ensure the best display of catkins. If planting Salix Gracilistyla Mount Aso as a hedge or in a group, space plants 2.4- 3 metres apart.

Plant Salix Gracilistyla Mount Aso in full sun or partial shade in an exposed or sheltered position with any aspect, in sand, loam, or clay soil. It will tolerate a wetter location than many other shrubs, making it a good choice for a problem spot in the garden. Salt- tolerant, it can be used in coastal regions, and as it is also tolerant of pollution, it is a good choice for city gardens, too. Deer and rabbit resistant, it makes a great low-maintenance shrub for country properties as well.

Salix Gracilistyla Mount Aso is both highly decorative for use as a specimen shrub, and suitable for mass plantings where long-season interest is desired. Its pink catkins will provide late winter colour and interest, and then the persistent foliage will remain fresh and green through to the autumn, making an excellent backdrop for flowering plants. Rose Gold Pussy Willow can make an excellent privacy screen, and on a larger property a mass planting in a damp hollow would provide wildlife habitat as well as reliable foliage.

Whether you want the stunning late-winter catkins, or the long season of fresh green foliage, Salix Gracilistyla Mount Aso is a great choice for your UK garden!