I’ve been writing these nature columns for many years, and I hope to write them for years to come, but sometimes the writing ...

Salix gracilistyla ‘Melanostachys’ black pussy willow has male catkins that emerge ... Pussy willow roots easily in damp soil or water. Perhaps I’ll pick up an interesting stem or two ...

I often spot black willow trees as I’m kayaking along a riverbank or lakeshore. While perhaps less picturesque than its (non-native) cousin the weeping willow, black willow is native to the Northeast ...