Squashberry
Viburnum edule Shrub Zones 2–8 2–7 ft
Shares stream banks, swamps and wet flats in the wild.
A native we do not grow
Pussy Willow
Salix discolor. Shrub, 6 to 30 feet, zones 2 to 8; full sun or part shade; average or wet ground.
We do not grow pussy willow, and it is not in our shop. This page gathers what our tools say about it and the natives we grow for the same ground.
At a glance
| Other names | Glaucous willow, American pussy willow, American glaucous willow, large pussy willow, true pussy willow |
|---|---|
| Form | Shrub |
| Height, feet | 6 to 30 |
| Spread, feet | Up to 15 |
| Zones | 2 to 8 |
| Sun | Full sun or part shade |
| Soil moisture | Average or wet ground |
| Growth | Fast |
| Leaves | Deciduous |
| Traits | Showy flowers, wildlife value, honey tree, hedge or screen, winter interest, erosion control |
| Flowers | March to May |
| Fruit | Capsules, April to June |
| First crop | 5 to 10 years (as for willow seedlings in general; most seed at 8 to 25) |
| Pollination | Separate male and female plants. Pussy willow plants are male or female, and only females set seed, so a female needs a male nearby. |
| Black walnut | Tolerant, on the Morton Arboretum's list as “willow” |
| Ground | Stream banks, swamps and wet flats |
| Native in | 27 states |
Pussy willow is native in 27 states: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The states are the USDA PLANTS Database's records, with the native range read from Silvics of North America and NatureServe Explorer. The USDA PLANTS Database also records it growing wild beyond that range in Mississippi and North Carolina, where it is naturalized, not native.
What our tools say
How fast it grows and how big it gets, by site Whether it suits your zone, sun and soil How far from a house, wires and a septic field What grows with it in the wild and in a yard When to plant it where you live When it flowers and fruits, month by month How to sow its seed, with dates for your place How many to plant for a crop of seed Whether one you have can be moved, and what the move takes How old one is, from its height How a big one scores against the champion trees
For the same ground, we grow
These shrubs we grow share the most of pussy willow's natural communities in the wild, by the companion species tool's rules.
Red Osier Dogwood
Cornus sericea Shrub Zones 2–7 6–12 ft
Shares stream banks, swamps and wet flats in the wild.
Large Cranberry
Vaccinium macrocarpon Shrub Zones 2–7 1–2 ft
Shares stream banks, swamps and wet flats in the wild.
Winterberry Holly
Ilex verticillata Shrub Zones 3–9 6–12 ft
Shares stream banks, swamps and wet flats in the wild.
Seaside Alder
Alnus maritima Shrub Zones 3–9 12–30 ft
Shares stream banks, swamps and wet flats in the wild.
Wild Black Currant
Ribes americanum Shrub Zones 3–7 3–6 ft
Shares stream banks, swamps and wet flats in the wild.
Read from
Its figures come from NC State Extension, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Morton Arboretum, the Wildflower Center, the Forest Service's Fire Effects Information System, the Woody Plant Seed Manual, the USDA PLANTS Database, the University of Connecticut's plant database and Go Botany.