Willow
The Salix genus includes over 400 species of trees and shrubs. Although some of these are towering giants, many are low growing shrubs commonly used in gardens and landscaping.
Japanese Willow Salix integra ‘Hakuro Nishiki’
Hardiness Zones: Zones 4-7
Light Requirements: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirements: Requires regular watering, weekly or more in extreme heat
Mature Height: 5-10 feet or more
Mature Spread: 5-10 feet or more
Shape: Rounded and weeping
Growth Rate: Fast
Soil Preference: Consistently moist, fertile, well drained soil.
Foliage: 4” long narrow leaves of pink, cream and green
Blooms: March and April produces tiny yellow cream blooms in catkins
Fruit: None
Disease and Insects: Susceptible to a variety of blights, mildew, leaf spot, scab and rust. May be afflicted by aphids, lace bugs and caterpillars.
Fertilize: Apply a general purpose fertilizer very early in spring before growth begins. Fertilize a bit more heavily to help maintain good foliage color.
Pruning: Prune to maintain size and encourage new colorful growth
The dappled willow has become widely available and enormously popular. Its' elegant arched branches hold showy cream and pink mottled leaves. The long delicate leaves emerge pink and mature to variegated pink cream and green. They gradually fade to green through the season. Winter exposes red stems on the newest growth, more completely red in warmer regions.
Dappled Willow will do well in moist or dry soils. Although it does prefer full sun, in warmer regions afternoon shade will benefit the shrub. It generally reaches about 4-6 feet high and wide, making a beautiful hedge for screening. In ideal conditions and without pruning it may reach up to 10 or even 20 feet tall and wide. The natural form is a large shrub, but garden centers have been grafting or pruning to an elegant tree. To maintain a tree form, continued pruning of trunk sprouts is necessary. See detailed article on ‘Hakuro Nishiki’ for more information.
Dappled Willow ‘Flamingo’: ‘Flamingo’ is an improved variety of ‘Hakuro Nishiki’, being very similar in size, growth habit, variegated coloring, and identical in growing conditions and care. The foliage and branches are much stronger, and the ‘Flamingo’ will tend to hold foliage coloring a bit better, and leaf scorch is not a problem. The growing habit is slightly more upright than the ‘Hakuro Nishiki’, with smaller, thinner leaves. The color hues are perhaps a bit more intense in spring when the leaves are developing and the stems are young.
Dwarf Blue Leaf Arctic Willow Salix purpurea ‘Nana’
Hardiness Zones: Zones 3-6
Light Requirements: Full Sun to Part Sun
Water Requirements: Tolerates wet areas. Average water requirements and somewhat tolerant of very short periods of drought.
Mature Height: 3-5 feet
Mature Spread: 3-6 feet
Shape: Upright and rounded
Growth Rate: Fast.
Soil Preference: Prefers moist soil but tolerant of most soil types
Foliage: 2 to 4 inch long blue green elliptical leaves
Blooms: Pale green tiny flowers in catkins in late April
Fruit: Insignificant
Disease and Insects: Susceptible to willow blight which can be fatal.
Pest Resistance: Resists rabbit damage
Fertilize: Apply an all purpose balanced fertilizer in spring
Pruning: Prune in late winter, prune to a hedge if desired
‘Nana’ is a wonderfully textured plant, with soft feathery looking foliage tinted with bluish. Breezes will allow the silvery blue underside to flash. Branch stems are purplish in winter. Will tolerate any soil type and is somewhat drought tolerant, but prefers moist soil. Perfect for those very moist and wet areas of your landscape or in clay soil. Or use '‘Nana’ to anchor a rain garden.
Growth habit is upright and rounded, reaching 3-4 feet high and 3-6 feet wide. In ideal conditions, nutrient rich moist soil, Blue Arctic Willow may reach 10 feet tall and wide or more, but this dwarf will remain more compact. ‘Nana’ prunes well, and makes a great hedge or border, or is great for erosion control on slopes and banks. Allow it’s natural rounded, compact form as a specimen plant.
Pussy Willow Salix caprea ‘Kilmarnock’
Hardiness Zones: Zones 4-8
Light Requirements: Full Sun
Water Requirements:
Mature Height: Dependent on grafted trunk but typically no higher than 10 feet. Shrub matures to 18-24 inches
Mature Spread:
Shape: Stiffly weeping
Growth Rate: Fast
Soil Preference: Moist soil, adaptable to pH levels
Foliage: Fine green
Blooms: Tiny yellow blooms open in spring
Fruit: Catkins are showy on this male clone, silvery white pompoms 1 1/2 to 2 inches at the end of winter
Disease and Insects: Susceptible to insects, disease and canker
Pest Resistance:
Fertilize: Fertilize once in spring with a balanced tree fertilizer
Pruning: Prune each spring. Known to sucker, prune suckers to trunk.
‘Kilmarnock’ is the most common pussy willow cultivar for garden use. It is a male clone, the similar female clone is ‘Weeping Sally”. ‘Pendula’, for weeping, is often attached to the cultivar name. Branches are stiffly weeping, and beautiful in winter when covered with catkins. The male catkins are a quite showy, 1 1/2-2 inch silvery white, followed by golden anthers in April and May. Fine green foliage follows. They are grafted on erect stems of other willow, so the height is determined by the height of the trunk on which it was grafted. ‘Kilmarnock’ are generally sold as a small tree, the taller ones are generally marketed as a large full standard. If sold on it’s own roots, it will creep across the ground.
Creates a fabulous focal point as a tree specimen. Allow the weeping branches to cascade toward the ground for a romantic cottage garden effect. Spring is ideal for cutting florist quality pussy willow branches for arrangements. Pruning branches to 2 inches each spring will encourage new growth to produce catkins.
Mature height of the actual bush is 18-24 inches. Pussy Willow is fast growing, prefers moist soil conditions, and adapts to pH. Will grow well in a large container and transplants easily. Will also tolerate some shade. Ideal for wet open sites. Drawbacks in a garden or landscape: prone to insect, disease and canker problems; suckers; constant “litter” under the tree; and prone to wind and ice limb breakage.