Salix gracilistyla 'Mount Aso', 4LMost people plant the bushy shrub Salix gracilistyla 'Mount Aso' for the utterly charming catkins that appear in the late winter, early spring. These are the softest of pinks with a grey fuzzy texture, as soft as mink; it is at once pretty and irresistibly tactile, and hugely cheering at the end of winter. The foliage of this deciduous willow is also appealing, with a blue hue and silvery underside.