Glaucous Willow

Description:

A weak-wooded deciduous shrub that has oval leaves, and soft, silky, silver catkins (flowers) that appear in early spring before the new leaves. Male and female catkins are on different plants (dioecious) with the male catkins maturing yellow at pollen release.

Habitat:

I spotted a few of these willow branches, full of catkins, in a swamp. They had been broken off their tree/shrub, probably during recent storms.

Notes:

This plant contains salicin, which was used by Native Americans as a painkiller.