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Salix gracilistyla 'Mt. Aso'
Giant Pussy Willow
Plant Type:
DECIDUOUS SHRUBSSalix gracilistyla ‘Mt. Aso' - Beautiful pink to violet-pink catkins up to one inch in height occur on this male selection of the Japanese Pussy Willow. The bud sheaths, depending upon winter temperatures, can begin to crack and open revealing the pink catkins as early as January in northeastern Connecticut. And they can go for months. 'Mt. Aso' is shorthand for Mount Aso-san, the largest active volcano in Japan. Young stems are covered in felted fuzz. New leaves exhibit a touch of pewter. Coppicing will engender more stems with pinkish-red buds all up and down on the winter stems and new pewter leaves when they emerge. Please note: 'Mt. Aso' will grow large without pruning. Salix gracilistyla 'Mt. Aso' will grow to nearly 20 feet if allowed but is no more a giant than many shrub willows. What is giant are the catkins. Pruning will keep your shrub fuller, bushier and provide even more stems for cutting. Tolerant of average, sandy-moist soils best performance will be had in fertile, moisture-retentive soil. Full sun. Established pot grown shrub from cutting.
Please scroll down to the Genus Overview for more information.
Characteristics and Attributes for Salix gracilistyla 'Mt. Aso'
Season of Interest (Flowering)
- Late Winter / Early Spring
Season of Interest (Foliage)
- Late Spring / Summer / into Autumn
Interesting Bark
- Colored
- Smooth
Autumn Interest
- Showy Buds
Nature Attraction
- Deer Resistant
Light
- Full Sun
- Mostly Sunny
Attributes
- Basketry
- Shrub Border
- Hedge
- Cutting Garden
- Hedgerow
- Natural Garden
- Screen
Growth Rate in the Garden
- Rapid
Soil
- Fertile
- Average
- Sandy
- Moist
- Draining
- Adaptable
Origins
- Japan
Propagated By
- Cutting Grown
Genus Overview: Salix
Common Name: Willow
Salix. These are the willows, a large genus of woody plants. Some willows are small shrubs, others grow into huge trees and there are many bushy species which fall in between. All prefer sun planted in fertile moisture retaining soils; some are tolerant of quite wet feet. Many have quite attractive lanceolate leaves with silvery undersides that flash in summer breezes… I have often thought of these as the “poor man’s bamboo”. Some have contorted and beautifully colored bark which shines in the winter landscape. Many sport beautiful winter/spring catkins. Nearly all willows have utilitarian applications in fencing, rods, basket making. All are very prune-able; in fact, any of the larger shrubs depending upon how you desire to employ them will respond well to pruning and coppicing. When coppiced those with beautifully colored winter stems display many more of them. And as with ornamental shrub dogwoods younger stems exhibit the best, most intense winter tones. All ornamental characteristics will be presented according to species/cultivar. All of the following offerings are established pot grown shrubs from a cutting. We may prune back all larger growing selections prior to shipping so that you will not incur the extra handling charge.