Salix gracilistyla Mt. Aso

Salix gracilistyla Mt. Aso is a compact, deciduous pussy willow prized for its vivid pink male catkins, which open on bare stems in late winter to early spring before the foliage appears. Well suited to Irish conditions, it grows best in full sun or light shade and in moist, fertile, well-drained soil, tolerating both clay and sandy ground. A striking choice for winter interest in mixed borders or near paths where the early catkins can be appreciated, it is fully hardy and responds well to pruning after flowering to maintain a neat framework and encourage vigorous shoots for next seasons display; expect an eventual size of around 12m.

To help give a clear sense of scale, the stone wall shown in our photos measures approximately 265cm in height. We also use familiar garden tools as visual references: a digging fork (110cm tall) and a hand fork (30cm tall). These are included purely as size guides to help you better judge proportions when viewing the images.

Position: Full sun to light shade Rate of Growth: Fast Soil: Moist, fertile, well-drained; tolerates clay or sandy soils Hardiness: Fully hardy Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Plant at a Glance

light:sun
light:light-shade
facing:south
facing:west
facing:east
facing:north
soiltype:moderate-fertile
soiltype:light-sandy
soiltype:heavy-clay
soilmoisture:normal
soilmoisture:damp
foliage:deciduous
flowering:february
flowering:march
flowercolour:pink
leafcolour:green
size:90cm-2m
wildlife:attractive-to-pollinators
wildlife:attractive-to-bees