15m spread
The silver furry catkins of pussy willow are one of the first signs of spring. While there are many different species and varieties of willow, which all bear catkins, the one most widely grown in gardens and best known as ‘pussy willow’ is
Salix caprea ‘Kilmarnock’, or ‘Kilmarnock willow’. This is a small and compact deciduous tree, ideal for small gardens. It grows to around 1.8-2.4m high with a spread of up to 1.5m, and forms a stiffly weeping ‘umbrella’ of branches. Yellow-green stems are smothered in fuzzy silver catkins from late winter to early spring on bare twigs, before the leaves open. The pollen-laden catkins are immensely popular with bees. Rounded mid-green leaves appear after the catkins.
Another hot spring town located in the United States, Mammoth Hot Springs is situated in Nothern California and has one of the best natural hot springs in the country. The neighbouring area is filled with tall mountains and hiking trails, making Mammoth Hot Springs an ideal after-hike spot to soothe sore, overworked muscles.
Since all of the hot springs at Mammoth are naturally formed due to a volcano eruption 760,000 years ago, the hot pools are all free of charge and formed in all shapes and sizes. A few hours drive from Los Angeles, it’s a quick day trip away from The City of Angels, or a fun weekend camping trip if you to soak in the warm water some more in the morning.