At the end of winter, we can buy willow twigs for a bottle in the florist's shop and at the market.And in the front yard, the shoots of high-growing willow 'Pendula', hanging towards the ground, are decorated with fluffy white-gray cats …
Among the willows we can find many beautiful species and varieties.Apart from the already mentioned specimens grafted on the trunk and magnificent forms, such as the weeping willow 'Tristis' with a picturesque summer crown, there are also numerous shrubs that are perfect for the garden.
One of the most popular is the 'Mas' variety of the wild willow Salix caprea.It is distinguished by long, delicately fragrant catkins.Besides, it is one of the earliest flowering willows - in mild winters it blooms at the end of February!
Some bush willows amaze not only with their pretty cats.Their advantage is also the silvery-gray leaves, most often especially effective at the beginning of the season.The leaves of the gray willow Salix elaeagnos retain their olive-green matte color until summer. However, woolly willow Salix lanata and dwarf creeping willow Salix repens var. argentea maintains ornamental gray-green leaf tones until fall.
The Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki' willow enchants with its beautiful colors, most often kept as a tree.Its young growing leaves are white, green and pink.Ripe leaves lose pink tones.
Cultivation of willows in practice
Very small willows do not require pruning. If we do not want dwarf shrubs in the garden, but rather a fast-growing tree, choose the Manchurian willow Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa'.This is a decorative variation
with raised and characteristic spirally twisted shoots, creating a slender, loose crown.
All willows are low-maintenance plants. They will be satisfied with a sunny place with a slightly moist surface.
Nice species and varieties of willow
- White willow 'Tristis' (Salix alba) 15-20 m high
- Alpine willow (Salix alpina), up to 10 m high
- Willow iwa 'Pendula' (Salix caprea), height 1.5-2.0 m
- Willow iwa 'Mas' (Salix caprea), height 5-8 m
- Gray willow (Salix elaeagnos), height 2-6 m
- Willow 'Erythroflexuosa' (Salix sepulcralis), 3-4 m high
- Willow 'Wehrhahnii' (Salix hastata), height up to 1 m
- Willow 'Hakuro Nishiki' (Salix integra), height 3-4 m
- Woolly willow (Salix lanata), height up to 1.2 m
- Willow 'Tortuosa' (Salix matsudana), height 8-10 m
- Creeping willow (Salix repens var. Argentea), height 30-80 cm
- Willow 'Sekka' (Salix sachalinensis), height 5-8 m
