The owner said it is a Willow. If it is, it is not looking like anything I know. Need confirmation. Thanks.
Thank you Michael. It is supposed to have a very long yellow catkins early in spring. Is the shape of the trunk typical for this variety?
The prevalent one like this is sold as French pink pussy willow etc. and appears to belong to the hybrid between goat and gray willows, Salix X reichardtii (or similar spelling). The erect, conical habit is typical. The catkins have a sweet fragrance but are otherwise of an unpleasant ashen (soiled) appearance, with a ruddy suffusion that can evoke bloodied pelts or carcasses up close. Much better catkins (and leaves) can be had from the outer coastal native Hooker willow, although this lacks the fragrance and habit of the hybrid. Another seen on local properties (but not in outlets) that is quite fine may be S. daphnoides 'Algaia' or another male form of this species.
Thanks Ron. The owner of the tree said the catkins are yellow and the whole tree becomes completely yellow and very beautiful early in spring. She didn't mention ashen appearance. She didn't say anything about the fragrance.
All male willow catkins consist of a silky "pussy" that has anthers pop out of it and split open to release the pollen. So the at first partly reddish pussy of the French pink pussy willow becomes mostly yellow later, as flowering climaxes.
