Christians substitute pussy willows for palms

The idea that Christians substitute pussy willows for palms during the annual Palm Sunday celebration arose during a recent discussion of the 2015 encyclical of Pope Francis “Laudato Si and the Care of our Common Home - the Earth. One of the participants in the discussion provided a list of references to some articles on the topic. Some of the contents of these articles are curated here. Jay Wexler asks if our Palm Sunday Palms are Bad for the Environment? Melissa Ramirez Cooper explains how Lutherans purchase 'eco-palms' for Palm Sunday. Hillary Watson urges urges her Mennonite parsonage to re-examine the theology of palms. Jean Hopfensperger of the Star Tribune in Minnesota reports on an 'Eco-Palm' project that sends nearly 1 million palms to 5,000 churches. The Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province Communications report that Catholic Relief Services also Sells Eco-Palms for Palm Sunday. Rev Ben Johnson describes how palms and pussy willows through global trade have enriched our Palm Sunday. Rev. Andriy Rabiy, explains blessing pussy willows as an Orthodox tradition. He states “Back home, the tradition is to bless the pussy willows.”
References

(2015, March 27). Blessing pussy willows an Orthodox tradition - Orthodox .... Retrieved October 18, 2018, from http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=64259.0
(2013, March 22). Are Your Palm Sunday Palms Bad for the Environment?. Retrieved October 18, 2018, from http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/03/palm_sunday_fronds_churches_should_buy_palms_from_environmentally_sustainable.html
(n.d.). Lutherans purchase 'eco-palms' for Palm Sunday - ELCA. Retrieved October 18, 2018, from https://www.elca.org/News-and-Events/7347
(2017, March 29). No more palms, please | Mennonite World Review. Retrieved October 18, 2018, from http://mennoworld.org/2017/03/29/the-world-together/no-more-palms-please/
(2017, April 11). Minnesota 'Eco-Palm' project sends nearly 1 million palms to 5000 .... Retrieved October 18, 2018, from http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-eco-palm-project-sends-nearly-1-million-palms-to-5-000-churches/418718583/
(2007, February 14). Catholic Relief Services Sells Eco-Palms for Palm Sunday - Holy .... Retrieved October 18, 2018, from https://hnp.org/catholic-relief-services-sells-eco-palms-for-palm-sunday/
(2017, April 10). Palms and pussy willows: How global trade enriched your Palm .... Retrieved October 18, 2018, from http://blog.acton.org/archives/93059-palms-and-pussy-willows-how-global-trade-enriched-your-palm-sunday.html