American pussy willow catkins have emerged, despite Monday’s snowstorm, as you see from these images taken yesterday. (Although a “catkin” sounds like a word coined for pussy willows, it’s a general botanical term for slim flower clusters with nonexistent or tiny petals.) These are the flower clusters of American pussy willow (Salix discolor).
In much of the country, pussy willow catkins usually are one of the first signs that winter has lost its grip. But not necessarily here, where winter sometimes makes a comeback in April. Of course, the common name for this furry plant, “pussy willow,” reflects the resemblance of its catkins to tiny cats or kittens. However, that “fur” only is on male pussy willows to protect their flower pollen from the elements; so, they’re all Tom cats.
The male flowers have no petals or scent; they’re just stamens that are heavy with pollen. The fur soon will be shed, allowing the stamens to cast massive amounts of dusty pollen to the wind, often producing small, drifting yellow clouds in the nearby air and sneezes in nearby noses. The wind has the job of making sure that some pollen finds eagerly awaiting female flowers.
(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on March 25, 2025.) See also the image in the first Comment space.