View Full Version : Tree of Enchantment!!!
The Hollyberry Lady
01-29-2011, 11:35 PM
This is my new Weeping Pussy Willow...
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC01812.jpg
Here's what was on the label...
The story of Salix Caprea Pendula
The weeping pussy willow is among the most graceful of trees. It is connected with all that is feminine....dreaming, intuition, emotion, enchantment, healing and revitalization. The willow has long since been recognized as a sacred tree by poets, philosophers, and religious leaders, because of the flexibility of it's twigs. The willow's flexibility symbolizes resilience and inspires us to move with life than resist what we are feeling.
Legend has it that willow is bestowed with magical power capable of fulfilling wishes. For a wish to be granted, ask permission of the willow explaining your desire. Select a pliable shoot and tie a loose knot it in expressing your wish. When your wish is fulfilled, return and untie the knot. Remember to thank the willow for your gift.
Too cute, eh?
The growing instructions are as follows...
Tree of Enchantment:
Keep the plant indoors for the first winter, and make sure it's well watered. Silvery white catkins will appear followed by yellow stamens later in the season.
After flowering, cut back to within 2" of the stem allowing new branches to grow for the following year.
This plant is extremely winter hardy. This plant has been grafted, so all wild upright growing shoots must be removed from the stem.
Good luck with your new weeping pussy willow. ;)
I absolutely adored pussy willows as a child and I'm so grateful as an adult to have found such a unique and weeping variety that's been grafted. How cool.
Tomorrow, I'll show some close-up shots of the fuzzy & adorable catkins..
: )
Very nice HbL. You do know that this is going to be a giant full sized tree in no time right? You're going to need a bigger place. Like the rest of us :ha:
You can make a great rooting hormone substitute with some cut branches and soaking them in water for a few days.
Jananas Bananas
01-30-2011, 09:27 AM
Gorgeous Sherry! And I love the lore, you will have to give it a try. :)
~JaNan
The Hollyberry Lady
02-01-2011, 08:29 AM
I like the lore too, JaNan. ;)
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC01818.jpg
This little tree is only 1 & 1/2 feet tall and it's a dwarf that's been grafted so it'll only reach 4-6 feet tall and likely less if it's kept in a pot. :D It's a garden ornamental that will grow leaves after the pussy willows drop...
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC01835.jpg
It won't be a huge massive tree that would take over your yard!
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC01847.jpg
I'm thinking of keeping my little tree in a container indoors. It's just too sweet and cute to not enjoy inside. It's definitely one of my best finds to date.
Does it get any more adorable...
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC01846.jpg
: )
The Hollyberry Lady
02-02-2011, 08:34 AM
Here's how the pussy willows look when they begin to die. They start to turn yellow...
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC01867.jpg
With further development, you can now see the yellow stamens...
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC01868.jpg
What a cool little tree this is. I don't remember the pussy willows turning yellow when I was a kid. I just recall them being soft, white, and silky...like a cat's fur. ;)
I guess my tree will develop leaves after the catkins fall so it provides year round beauty & interest.
: )
Jananas Bananas
02-02-2011, 09:30 AM
That sure is beautiful! Are they as soft as they look? I think I would be petting them with a finger every time I walked by it. That probably wouldn't be very healthy for it either. ~J
The Hollyberry Lady
02-02-2011, 09:52 AM
Oh but you must touch them...it's part of the whole enchanting experience. :goteam:
They are soft & silky like a cat's fur and totally adorable. One cannot resist touching them...a lot.
They are called 'pussy willow' because there was a time long ago when cats and kittens were called 'pussies' and the catkins feel so much like a cat's silky fur, so they named them after felines.
Neat, huh?
Have you ever seen them before, JaNan? They enjoy a good cold & snowy winter so I wasn't sure if they'd like your zone. Maybe I'm wrong though.
I can't wait until mine begins to grow leaves...
: )
Jananas Bananas
02-02-2011, 10:17 AM
I saw them at the florist area of a local grocery store (of all places) about 3 years ago. I thought they were beautiful but didn't know much about them or their growing preferences. They were expensive too, and I didn't get one (I think they had 4 trees). I have never seen any at the local nurseries or big box stores.
Regular willow and weeping willow grow here. I don't recall ever seeing regular pussy willow here and definitely not the weeping one. That is probably a good indicator that they won't like our climate.
I love seeing all the stages of the catkins! Are the leaves petite like a weeping willow? I know when we were little my Grandma would cut a weeping willow as a switch and if we were particular bad we would feel the sting of that little booger! Owwwwwza! :ha: ~J
The Hollyberry Lady
02-02-2011, 04:54 PM
I love watching the stages of the catkins too, JaNan...
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC01879.jpg
Such an enchanting tree of interest. ;)
I guess you can make baskets with the branches too.
: )
bananarama2
02-02-2011, 05:11 PM
Thanks for sharing, Sherry....pun intended, and I think its neat how you bring the outdoors indoors, and continue gardening while the winds blow and the storm rages outside. Very commendable. I have several shrubs that make the transition back and forth from the back deck to the living room every spring and fall, just for that reason. The willow certainly seems happy indoors. JFYI (Jana included), most willows really like a lot of moisture, and do very well along streams and ponds and any spot where there's plenty of soil moisture. They are a very important food source for early emerging bees (hence all the pollen) and so should be included in every landscape where possible. I wish you'd not say that they are dying because of the pollen forming, but they do indeed produce the "pussies" before the leaves appear, notably when temperatures are too cool for the leaves. :0496:
The Hollyberry Lady
02-02-2011, 05:40 PM
Yes, I'm pretty excited about growing this tree, I'll prune it in Spring so that new branches will grow. The catkins only develop on new branches, not old ones.
I was just checking out this site...
Growing and Rooting Weeping Pussy Willow. (http://www.freeplants.com/weeping-pussy-willow.htm)
Totally cool.
: )
The Hollyberry Lady
02-02-2011, 07:02 PM
This site is also incredible and shows the very type of tree I have, in the same pot with the same label. It's shows pictures of how to properly prune it as well...
www.sunrisegreenhouses.ca/Pussy_Willow_files/Pussy%20Willow.pdf
: )
notrecruiting
02-03-2011, 08:29 AM
That is a nice addition to your garden, is there any plant that you haven't grown? lol
I also love the pic you have with all the snow in the background behind your indoor "jungle". It's quite the contrast.
Very nice HbL. You do know that this is going to be a giant full sized tree in no time right? You're going to need a bigger place. Like the rest of us :ha:
You can make a great rooting hormone substitute with some cut branches and soaking them in water for a few days.
I have also read about using a willow "tea" as a natural alternative to root hormones....It's supposedly due to the readyness of the willow branches to sprout roots. I've been wondering if this is true with any other "ready to root" plants...like tomato plants are always producing little root nubs. Will a tomato stem "tea" make a good root hormone? Are you planning on cloning your tree?
Jananas Bananas
02-03-2011, 09:43 AM
Geez that picture of the pruning looks like it has been scalped! :eek: I don't think I could do that. Does it grow back fast? It looks so sad like that. :(
~JaNan
The Hollyberry Lady
02-03-2011, 02:22 PM
I thought the same thing, JaNan! :(
Apparently though if you don't cut off the old growth and allow new growth to develop, there will be no catkins the following season! :eek:
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC01895.jpg
The pussy willows only form on young growth...
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC01903.jpg
I am a huge believer in pruning and think it rejuvenates a plant and makes it young again. The branches will grow in all Spring and Summer...plus leaves too. It'll be ok JaNan, but it must be done. ;)
Notrecruiting...
I'm not sure if I'll use my tree to make tea. I haven't any problems or need for better rooting hormone so I may use the branches to make a basket...just for fun. We'll see though...I often change my mind.
I am also wondering about whether they'd make good scions for grafting, which I have a dream of being successful at someday. :D
All I know is that I'm in love with this dwarf tree!!!
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC01902.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC01901.jpg
: )
Jananas Bananas
02-03-2011, 02:32 PM
Too bad we as humans couldn't do that - cut something off and grow back young again! :woohoonaner: But boy we would be some ugly looking creatures until the new growth was complete! :ha:
Sherry your living room looks like Spring, even if the view outside tells a totally different story. Just think about the wonderful pure oxygen you get to breathe in your home. :) ~J
notrecruiting
02-03-2011, 02:49 PM
Notrecruiting...
I'm not sure if I'll use my tree to make tea. I haven't any problems or need for better rooting hormone so I may use the branches to make a basket...just for fun. We'll see though...I often change my mind.
Sorry, I wasn't suggesting you use your tree to make rooting tea. It's also quite apparent that you have no trouble at all getting things to grow. Seed, clipping, or what have you. I was just mentioning that I'd read the same thing about "willow tea" that Bob mentioned, and wondered if there were other "ready to root" type of plants that would also work for a rooting tea.
As far as your particular tree goes, it is a very nice tree, and I would much rather see you make lots of clones before making tea (or baskets for that matter) from the branches.
The Hollyberry Lady
02-03-2011, 03:08 PM
It's all good, no worries. ;)
Yeah I know...Bob just thinks he knows everything! :ha:
I would like to root some of the branches too, and then I can share them with fellow gardeners who are interested. No point in wasting.
Then again, maybe it woulld be cool to try the tea and see if it works as well as they claim. It might be interesting.
Anyway, thanks about my tree and saying it's a cool new addition...I think so too. I gave it a good watering today, but I'm a little shy of fertilizing it just yet. :eek: I might in Spring, right after I prune it. I'll see.
I think I should try to root new growth, don't you? Or do you think I should try a piece now? There is actually one branch that is actively growing and I could cut a piece off for a cutting...
: )
notrecruiting
02-03-2011, 03:35 PM
They say, that it's best to try to root actively growing branches and cut it so many inches long with so many leaf nodes....blah, blah, blah....lol. I think if you want to prune it...might as well try to root it...if you want to wait then wait. I'm no expert. I just take a good look at the plant and if I see a branch growing that I feel is too long or out of place I snip it off and stick it in a cup of water or a little bit of soil. I have faith that you know much better than I what would be best for your tree.
The Hollyberry Lady
02-03-2011, 03:41 PM
Well, Spring is approaching...and there's no better time than this. ;)
Now you've got me excited and I might just snip off a 4-6 inch shoot tonight off this one new growing branch. I bet it roots and I've even got some hardwood rooting hormone. Might take a few months but I hope it grows into it's own little tree.
I'll take more cuttings in Spring when I prune it and it begins to grow again vigorously.
Let's see what happens then, if I experiment...
: )
notrecruiting
02-03-2011, 04:46 PM
Go for it!!! If anyone can do it and make it happen I believe you can.
notrecruiting
02-03-2011, 05:00 PM
Oh, about cloning it...when I checked out that link you posted about the weeping pussy willow it was talking about how it was trained to be a weeper. Are you going to have to do that with your clones? Or do you think they will naturally weep?
Maybe I read it wrong. Maybe it needed to be trained to stand up straight. Anyway, best of luck with it.
The Hollyberry Lady
02-03-2011, 10:15 PM
Thanks! :waving:
Here's the shot of the growing branch I'll take the cutting from in the morning...
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC01911.jpg
It's got new catkins developing on it. :08:
The branches grow out and then once they get long enough, the weight of the branch makes it weep downward. This branch is still jutting outward though because it's just newly growing.
I wonder about what you're asking, because my tree is actually a weeping variety that's been grafted onto a standard. The cuttings will be of the weeping variety but they won't have the standard rootstock the original tree has. Not sure how it will work out but it sure will be an interesting experiment.
I'll show the cutting in the morning, when I prepare it and pot it up...
: )
The Hollyberry Lady
02-10-2011, 10:42 PM
The leaves are starting to grow!!! :goteam:
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC01943.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC01944.jpg
Time to prune my little tree soon. I'll show that cutting soon but it's potted up now...
: )
The Hollyberry Lady
02-11-2011, 11:25 AM
The leaves are really growing nicely & quickly for me...
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC01980.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC01983.jpg
I may need to prune a little sooner than I thought. Might do it later today. I'll show a shot after pruning...
: )
The Hollyberry Lady
02-13-2011, 12:29 AM
Oh yeah and...
Here's another cutting I took that's already started to grow!!!
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC02013.jpg
: )
Jananas Bananas
02-13-2011, 12:41 AM
gulp......SWALLOWING HARD! Does it now look like the link you attached? You are a very strong woman! ~J
The Hollyberry Lady
02-13-2011, 01:00 AM
I pruned my tree today and I'm going to root the cuttings...
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC02041.jpg
Although my little tree now looks like a stump, it was necessary to ensure new branches and catkins for next season. Here's how my tree looked today before pruning...
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC02026.jpg
I'll show a shot tomorrow of how it looks now that it's been pruned...
: )
The Hollyberry Lady
02-13-2011, 01:15 AM
I'm ashamed to say JaNan, it does! :eek:
I would be more ashamed however, if next season I had no catkins because I chickened out on the pruning when it needed to be done! :ha:
Don't forget this is a fast growing tree and before long it will be lush and full. Not to worry because now new branches will grow. ;)
I'll show a shot tomorrow of my stump...
: )
Jananas Bananas
02-13-2011, 01:33 AM
It was so beautiful though. I would have wanted to see all the furries turn to leaves. I guess then it is too late? Does it make it branch out more also? I read at one of your links that they graft it onto the other one because the weeping pussy willow is all wiggly and drapey. ~J
The Hollyberry Lady
02-13-2011, 01:41 AM
I'm gonna try to wind the flexible trunk around a strong stake as it roots and grows, much the way people do when trying to turn a wisteria vine into a little tree. This will make it strong and sturdy.
You did see the furries turn to leaves in my pics...or at least some of them. I don't know if it would have been too late to wait but I've been reading that as soon as the leaves appear is the time to prune. New branches will grow shortly, you'll see...
It really is a shame to have to prune it though, right when it was so gorgeous, but this is apparently the way it's done.
Let's see what happens...
: )
Jananas Bananas
02-13-2011, 01:47 AM
I know you are correct! You see why I am not a very good pruner. :( Yeah! Flexible, that's the word I was looking for instead of wiggly and drapey! :ha:
The Hollyberry Lady
02-13-2011, 01:52 AM
Now that we are friends, you will learn how to prune! :ha:
Plants love to be pruned. It's like us getting a haircut!
Just promise not to laugh at my stump tomorrow, if I get up the nerve to show it to you guys...
: )
The Hollyberry Lady
02-13-2011, 04:48 PM
Alright, but don't laugh! :ha:
Here it is this afternoon after a hard pruning last night...
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC02050.jpg
It'll grow back fast, you'll see. Now I have insured that I will have another bloom of catkins next season! :08:
: )
The Hollyberry Lady
02-17-2011, 01:12 PM
Here's what happens when new growth begins...
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC02164.jpg
After the new upright branches get so long, they begin to weep down from the weight of the branch. I can see it's a very fast growing tree and it will be covered with new branches and leaves very soon! :D
Even after a hard pruning, it doesn't look so bad. ;)
See, JaNan! http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/emo1.gif
: )
Jananas Bananas
02-18-2011, 07:54 AM
I can see your window looks very lovely with your snowflakes and new mosaic gazing balls. And yes i can see it has a couple of stems growing really fast compared to the the picture right before it, just like you said it would do. :ha: ~JaNan
The Hollyberry Lady
02-18-2011, 05:48 PM
Yup, it's a very fast growing tree JaNan!
The first cutting I took from the tree is now rooting, and showing signs of top growth! :goteam:
I'm going to train it to be an upright tree like the one I have, with a weeping top! It certainly won't be easy but it can be done using a strong metal stake.
We'll see...
: )
The Hollyberry Lady
02-22-2011, 05:49 PM
The tree has grown a lot since it's pruning...
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC02221.jpg
The branches are upright right now, but not for long. As they get longer & heavier, they begin to fall down and weep towards the ground.
Here's a close-up shot of the graft covered in wax...
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/DSC02220.jpg
You can also see the many new shoots developing, that will form into new branches. :D
: )
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