Interesting!

I think of Pussy Willows as being a northern plant and
have never considered growing them in Texas, which is not
to say it can't be done. I've only seen them here as cuttings and in dry arrangements. I'm guessing like all willows they would need plenty of water and peat to keep their roots damp.

I believe the Chinese associate the Pussy Willow with prosperity.

In ancient Europe Pussy Willow rods and branches with leaves were called ~Rods of Life.~ The Mysteries of the Roman goddess, Libra, included initiating women into motherhood by ritual flogging them with the Rod of Life to ensure fertility. Poles and Ukrainians struck one another with pussy willows on Palm Sunday, a custom called ~God's Wounds~ in remembrance of the scourging of Jesus.

The Pussy Willow, provides a compound called ~salicin~ which is similar to the active ingredient in most painkillers. Native North Americans extracted it from the bark and roots for a painkiller and anti-fever medication.
http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/flowers/p.html

However, if you weren't already aware of these meanings
I guess their interpretation has some other meaning unique to you. I've always loved pussy willows and can't imagine such a soft and sweet gift could be anything but a good omen.

Sweet dreams!

Oh, that is interesting! Especially when you think about DragonflyWings' info on the symbolism of Pussy Willows. Could be that you are going to come into a prosperous time, you need more spirituality in your life or you are going to have a baby ("AAAAAHHHHH!" or "Congrats"? ;)? Or maybe it was Mother Nature letting you know that your garden this year will be bountiful (I like that one).

Regardless of what it meant, I'd get a pussy willow. Now. Period.

thank you all so much for the info on symbolism

sounds to me like a wonderful omen, for sure

in my dream, i do remember i was so happy, and so
surprised, and i remember the beautiful lady was
smiling

she didn't give them to me in a vase, she just had them
in her hand, and gave them to me

i remember waking up and thinking "oh, my god, that was
amazing"

i'm off to find a pussy willow

tesa

I believe if I am not mistake that Pussy Willows are an acid loving plant, so if you go cut some you may have to adjust the soil on a regular basis. Pine needles coffee grounds etc.

i actually have a ton of pine trees on my property, and
also surrounding properties

i found them in some bulb catalog a friend gave me, but
it says only hardy to zone 7, since i'm in zone 8, it
should be ok, right?

this weekend i plan to visit a few local nursuries with
a friend, and i'm going to ask around

tesa

My husband is from Iowa and pussy willows grow in the ditches up there!! (Along with day lilies and beautiful wild roses.) I thought they were only attractive when you cut them before they bud out??? Your dream sounds lovely. Please report back on what you find in your plant search. Maybe you could get on another forum and get someone to send you a cutting from the frozen northern territories? Good luck!

When I was a child there was and elderly gentlemen that had a beautiful garden and at the back of the lot he had pussy willows. I don't know how he grew them but thought you'd like to know it can be done here in Fort Worth, Dallas area.

We just sold two weeping pussy willow trees at the nursery I work for here in Ca. Very pretty, I want one too.

No idea if you'll see this since it's been a few years since your post. Did you ever try to grow any pussy willow? Were you successful? I am going to try to plant a pussy willow branch that has rooted & begun sprouting more branches & I live in the Dallas area.

My Grandmother had them growing in an area that was often boggy in Pennsylvania. I have never seen pussy willow outside a flower arrangement in Texas.

Love Pussy Willows. But I've only seen them growing when we lived in Michigan, Illinois and California. I have never seen them anywhere throughout the South. There's probably a reason for that. They probably don't like heat and dry, hot weather too much.