It belongs in the ground. No question, so long as the ground isn't too frozen to dig, plant it.

Thank you!! Going in tomorrow.

Put it in the ground. That will make it happy. Still some time to grow roots until the ground freezes.

And don't order anything from that company again.

" And don't order anything from that company again. "

I agree 100%. The delay is ridiculous given that these root easily in a matter of days. Your twig with roots is probably no more than a couple of weeks old. 'French Pussy Willow' seems to be a fancy marketing name for Salix caprea, Goat Willow, a fast growing weedy species. I hope you have a big yard because it will look pretty boring for most of the year. It is also dioecious, meaning that male and female flowers are produced on separate trees. Only the male trees have the furry pussy catkins. That means that yours will only get them if it was cloned from a male plant.

when there is a question.. just ask yourself.. is it a houseplant.. and if the answer is no.. then growing it inside is a no ...

is you plant dormant??? ... if not.. i might let it spend a week in the garage.. to ease it into dormancy ... and then plant it..

and to insure the ground doesnt freeze int eh meantime... i would dig the hole.. put a bag or tree leaves over it .. and put the soil in the garage until planting time.. so it doesnt freeze ...

its called hardening off.. and doing it properly amounts to easing a plant into a new situation.. not ripping it from a greenhouse.. sending it up north the the great north.. and sticking it immediately in the ground ...

and i would put the seller on notice.. that you expect a replacement in spring.. should you report back to them that is did not break dormancy in spring ...

and frankly.. find a better supplier.. nobody should be shipping up to your zone in december ... sounds like something arbor day or

[program and my laptop were acting weird.. so i had to send.. and now im editing.. ]

michigan bulb ... use a garden watechdog next time you are ordering ... or ask here ...

all the better if it gets buried in snow all winter.. as long as you dont step on it.. and if snow will be lacking.. covering it with a cardboard box to reduce winter winds would be great ...

ken

I like the cardboard box idea. It doesn't need sunshine?

Forget the box. Goat willow is totally hardy and needs no winter protection. Also, being no more than a twig, the wind will not bother it.

p.s. I see no mention of Michigan Bulb.

No, it came from Greenwood Nursery, not Michigan Bulb.

Sounds like a bare root. If the stems and roots are alive, it will probably be OK. I usually have better luck planting in the spring, but fall works pretty well too.

I got a few plants from Greenwood. I would not recommend them. Nor Michgan Bulb,

It's in the ground now. We'll see how it goes.

Update: The pussy willow is gone. The stick my husband planted next to it to keep animals from running over it is still there, but the plant is gone.

Okay, where should I order it this time? I want the short, old-fashioned bush, not the tall elegant tree. And when?

It's not when you should order it, but WHERE you should order it from.

Look up Garden Watchdog (sited on Dave's Garden), read the reviews for anywhere you think you might like to order from. Avoid things with anything above 10% negative reviews.

I am not familiar with any pussy willow which is either a 'short old fashioned bush' or a 'tall elegant tree'. They are hulking great shrubs, unless grafted on a single stem, and those usually fail eventually. Before you order again I think it is important to establish exactly what shrub you have in your mind's eye. Can you find pictures of what you mean so you can get a proper id before throwing good money after bad? And when you get what you want plant it inside a wire netting guard to keep animals out.

They only list expensive pussy willows. I want a mutt.

i hate to say it.. but this is just so darn common.. i dont know why you just dont go to big box in spring.. and buy one ... why bother with mail order ...

i dont understand why you are fixated on this in the dead of winter... though your winter may be mild enough to play with your own garden plants.. the thing is.. nobody is selling garden stuff in january.. ...

just happened to find this link rather easily .. read it in its entirety .. : https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/81760

and do note the second comment.. wherein it suggests you will have to run this thing over with the truck every few years.. once it gets going.. some extreme pruning.. to keep it in check ... i seem to recall.... that is why dad had me dig it out when i was a teenager.. as it had proclivities to taking over the whole back yard .. the thing is ... once its has a mature root mass.. even if you cut it the the ground.. it will be 10 feet tall the next spring.. perhaps i exaggerate.. but do get my drift ...

ken

Years and years ago, I lost a rose. It just wasn't there anymore, and no matter how I dug through the snow, I could not find it.

Then in the spring, it reappeared. My best guess is that the snow knocked it down into the mud, but it sprang back in the spring.

Moral of the story - just because you can't find it doesn't mean it isn't still there.