Pussywillows

by Hattie Dyck

Photo Credit: Carla Barron

Today a kind lady brought me a bouquet of pussy willows and Queen

Anne’s lace which sits proudly on my living room table. Attached to it is an

interesting story about the pussy willow, which made me want to share it

with the readers of High Tides as many of my generation grew up in the

country and have for years enjoyed picking the delicate blossoms that

herald the coming of spring.

The story states that according to an old Polish legend, a mother cat was

crying at a river bank while her kittens were drowning after falling in the

cold spring water while chasing butterflies.

The willows at the river’s edge longed to help her, so they swept their long

graceful branches into the water to rescue the tiny kittens. Luckily the little

ones were able to grip tightly to their branches and so got safely to the

shore. Each springtime since, says the legend, the willow branches sprout tiny fur

like buds at their tips where the tiny kittens once clung.

Other research suggests that the term “”pussy”” is believed to have

originated in Europe where these plants have a long history of cultural

significance. The word denotes the small, furry animal that gave the legend

a reason for being. In many European countries the pussy willow is used to

herald the arrival of spring as it heralds the arrival of warmer weather on

the way.

On a more practical note, the soft, fuzzy catkins can be easily dried and

preserved by those who will use them later in the season for decorations

and crafts.

They are also a gentle reminder for many of a simpler time in our lives.