Fantail willows with catkins grow in a garden in New Paltz, N.Y. Willows are among the more interesting shrubs and trees.

Willows are among the more interesting shrubs and trees, especially this time of year, when soft, gray pussycats curl up along their stems.

Willows have other weirdnesses, too: Just look at the form of the branches. Most people picture gracefully weeping branches when they think of willows, but corkscrew willow branches not only point upwards instead, but corkscrew up into space.

Stems of Sekka, the fantail willow, are only a little twisted, but their branches fuse together rather than spread outward so stems curl into corrugated contortions an inch or so wide and a quarter of an inch thick. And then there are willows whose excitement comes from brightly colored stems.

A shot of color

A variety of white willow with the forgettable name Chermesina, or equally forgettable Britzensis, has bright red stems. For something sunnier, Vitellina is a willow with bright yellow stems.

The stem color of either of these willows is brightest in winter, which is perfect because that’s when most of us hunger for bright color in the landscape.

And for willow stems both colorful and twisted, try the willow varieties Flame and Scarlet Curls, both with bright orangish red stems in winter and somewhat contorted branches.

For willow weirdness during the growing season, there’s a willow called Tricolor. The usual color for willow leaves is green, sometimes with a silvery or bluish cast, but Tricolor’s leaves are splashed in pink, white, and yellow. As summer marches in, the raucousness calms down with the leaves fading to plain old green.

Try texture

Returning to the present season, let’s have a look at pussy willows. Willows usually have either male or female flowers, and those fuzzy buds are the male flowers, also called catkins. So even though only a couple of willow species are commonly called pussy willows, a number of other species also have decorative – or weird – catkins.

Some of the willows already mentioned make pretty good pussy willows. Fuzzy gray catkins stud the corrugated, flat, contorted branches of fantail willows forced to bloom indoors this time of year. And gray isn’t the only color possibility for willow catkins.

Rosegold is a variety of willow whose catkins are blushed pink – and they are twice as long as those of other willows. Black pussy willow has purplish black catkins that look both eerie and elegant, more so by the fine red anthers that poke through the fuzz. The stems aren’t ho-hum either; they’re purplish black, mostly in winter.

Growing considerations

Like the more common willows, these weird willows have their strong and weak points as landscape plants. Willow roots seek water, so put plenty of distance between any willow and a water or septic line. Another weak point is willow wood. Willows periodically drop twigs, stems, even limbs. Willows such as the fantail and Tricolor willows never grower bigger that large shrubs, so falling plant parts pose no hazard.

On the plus side, willows are fast growing, hardy, leaf out early, and hold their leaves, then a golden yellow, late into autumn. And all their oddities notwithstanding, all willows always present a delicate appearance.