Botanical Nerd Word: Catkin

Pussy willows growing by Wilket Creek

Catkin: A pendulous spike, usually of simple, unisexual flowers.*

Pussy willows, a common name which can refer to several different plants, are one of the first signs of spring. They are a type of catkin – a long cluster of many tiny flowers. The pussy willows along Wilket Creek in Edwards Gardens are coming into bloom this week.

*Allaby, M. (2006). A dictionary of plant sciences (Revised ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.