If you're starting to get the winter blues, now's a good time to simply head outdoors to get a sneak peek at spring by looking at the colorful stems of pussy willows. As the winter turns into spring, the branches will become more vivid and the catkins, which are the actual "flower" of the plant, will open up to reveal silky smooth velvet.

The Giant Pussy Willow or the Japanese Pussy Willow
- It has red buds in winter.
- The catkins will grow to 5 inches and turn quince pink.

Dragon's Claw Willow or Corkscrew Willow
- The curly stem is the real draw. In the winter they turn a beautiful russet/chestnutty brown.
- Native to China.
- It's actually a tree and can grow up to 40 feet tall, whereas most pussy willows are shrubs.
- By late spring, the catkins will grow and become bright green.

Purple Heirloom
- Blonde or light colored bark.
- Dark purplish gray catkins.

Japanese Fantail Willow
- It comes from the Sakhalin island off Japan.
- They silky gray catkins are along the flat, reddish stem.

Pussy Willow Arrangement How-To
1. Line it with a heavy-duty garbage bag.

2. Cut away excess garbage bag.

3. Secure the rim with tape.

4. Add some blocks of oasis floral foam that has been pre-soaked in water to the bottom of the urn.

5. Make an angled cut with a sharp pruner at the bottom of each branch.

6. Pussy willow branches really need little arranging, they will naturally fan out to fill the vase.

7. Top off the arrangement by adding some moss around the top of the urn.