Pussy willow is a name given to many of the smaller species of thegenusSalix (willows and sallows) when their furrycatkins are young in earlyspring. These species include (among many others):

• Goat willow or goat sallow (Salix caprea), a small tree native to northern Europe and northwest Asia.
• Grey willow or grey sallow (Salix cinerea), a small tree native to northern Europe.
• American pussy willow (Salix discolor), native to northern North America.

Before the male catkins of these species come into full flower they are covered in fine, greyish fur, leading to a fancied likeness to tinycats, also known as “pussies”. The catkins appear before the leaves, and are one of the earliest signs of spring. At other times of year trees of most of these species are usually known by their ordinary names.

The many buds of the pussy willow make it a favourite flower forLunar New Year. The fluffy white blossoms of the pussy willow resemble silk, and they soon give forth young shoots the colour of green jade. In Chinese tradition, this represents the coming of prosperity.^[1] Towards the Lunar New Year period in spring, stalks of the plant may be bought fromwet market vendors orsupermarkets.^{[citation needed]}

Once unbundled within one's residence, the stalks are frequently decorated with gold and red ornaments—ornaments with colours and textures that signify prosperity and happiness. Felt pieces of red, pink, and yellow are also a common decoration in Southeast Asia.

Xie Daoyun's comparison of snow and willow catkins is a famous line of poetry and is used to refer to precocious young female poets.^[2]

The flowering shoots of pussy willow are used both in Europe and America for spring religious decoration onPalm Sunday, as a replacement forpalm branches, which do not grow that far north.^[3]

Ukrainian andRussian Orthodox;Ruthenian, Polish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovak, Bavarian, and AustrianRoman Catholics; Finnish and BalticLutherans andOrthodox; and various other Eastern European peoples carry pussy willows onPalm Sunday instead of palm branches. This custom has continued to this day among Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Romanian Orthodox, Russian Orthodox,Ruthenian Catholic,Ukrainian Catholic,Kashubian Catholic and Polish Catholicémigrés to North America. Sometimes, on Palm Sunday they will bless both palms and pussy willows in church. The branches will often be preserved throughout the year in the family'sicon corner.^[4]

Pussy willow also plays a prominent role in PolishDyngus Day (Easter Monday) observances, continued also amongPolish-Americans,^[5] especially in theBuffalo, New York, area.

InGreater Iran it may be part of the decoration on theHaft-Seen table during the new year celebration ofNowruz on the first day of spring, and its distilled flower is used in traditional medicine.^[6]