Genus: Salix

brilliant photo

Hi KEN , OR ANY ONE, I have put a photo of the ill tree Salix integra 'Hakuro-nishiki' for you to see. Big diference to last years trees, any idea to whats up with it. Do i have to get the first aid out, Or ring the undertakers.

This is a small tree or large shrub suitable for most gardens, provided they receive fairly plentiful sun. Elegant, with long, slightly drooping branches when it reaches maturity, in its earlier years Salix integra 'Hakuro-nishiki' is enjoyably boisterous. The young branches develop in all directions, creating a starburst of colour and interest. Eventually they start to bend downwards under their own weight. In terms of visual benefits at other times of the year, expect delicate catkins along the stems from early April, quickly followed by pairs of attractively marked, oblong, bright green leaves. Although willows are often associated with waterside situations, 'Hakuro-nishiki' will also thrive on drier soils. Dont worry it is still young

I bought this when we moved in two years ago (£29.00). It has grown quite a bit and the trunk has got quite thick. I trim him to keep him this tall and i have to trim the branches as they droop to the floor as i cant get passed to my greenhouse.
The six for the car boot are cuttings I took, the first year I gave him a trim.

Did u grow these yourself ? its lovely :)

You learn something every day I bought this in Morrisons about five years ago for £5 ,99, money well spent, its a lovely little tree

R so thats what these r called thanx Janette ! A old Lady across my street has2 of these&in her Garden&i think their lovely :)

If you had seen it last year you would be suprised its still growing Had to cut it right back thougt it had died all brown and horrid I was going to dig it up but decided to leave it and see what happened in spring Glad I did now Its growing so well now, still dont have a clue what had happend to it Think it was all the rain we had last year

Looks a bit greener than mine.

i like these janette, was going to put one in this yr

Hahaaha tough when the first factor you have to consider is cold hardiness? I'm too familiar with that, unfortunately.. I have a russian olive (eleagnus augustifolia) that has very sharp spines and it's leaves are grey-green... they are amazingly hardy.At present they are in blossom and smell wonderful. Is it possible that it's a politically correct name...for something russian? I find I can grow anything , russian or siberian or Amurian because they are so hardy.

Very interesting. This reminds me of a russian olive. I'm betting the willow makes it tougher as far as cold hardiness. I'll have to look into it. Things have gotta be real tough for me up here. :-)

Just checked it out...too right. looks abolutely wonderful...a little hiding place...great place for an afternoon snooze.

Wonderful.. you are so right...It has filled in very nicely!!

You should see some of my more recent pics of this, now it's full of lush green leaves. I have added some climbers to it as well just for a bit of colour.

Ahhahah... good old willow... great idea there...wonder if there's a vine that would complement the willow and help fill in..? I've seen teepee's made with prunings and planted with morning glories...It's a kiddies project ...when the flowers fill in and bloom the child has a little play house to enjoy.. Great!

I am always looking at them at various Nurseries - they are so pretty. I just DO NOT have the space for one! I have to resist temptation.

Cluelesskev I'm afraid I'm one of those gardeners with the opinion of banging a plant in and praying that it will do well most of my side garden has heavy clay and very little matter added to it and it's very open to the wind too but as you can see my little Salix is quite happy with its lot.

Spritz I'll bang anything into my side garden I have little or no control when it comes to planting in that area although the chives are coming up that's for sure! Hel.xxx.

It has grown really well, clever clogs

Like it! :-)

love this!

Wow this is Great :)

I love these - but they don't fit into a Cottage garden, really, do they?

I like these Salix trees, where's the best place to plant these in a typical suburban garden ? My back wall is North East/East facing.

Hi Spitzhenry, in reply to your message about our willow - the one that's going - do you know whether one of these could be grown in a pot?

Ours is so large and the garden so tiny but, as you say, it is a lovely feature. So if we could take a cutting and grow a mini version it would be fab!

This has grown loads :O

I don't like leaving you with no answer - but unfortunately I can't find your Salix in any of my books. However, from the photo, that's a small pot for a healthy looking large shrub. Is it pot-bound? You may have to repot it. All Salix prefer damp conditions so I would imagine yours would need plenty of water in your heat! I expect that dead leaves will fall naturally. I am afraid I can't advise about feeding, except to say that potted plants usually benefit from a liquid feed occasionally.

i love your willow hut. i have one of these but it was damaged in the winter winds. i've been tryin to find the time to mend it!! i will soon.

Wow. Lots of leaves already.

Greening up well there...

The dome is looking great. I also love the way it looks without it's leaves.

Not seen this one before.
Hello Kiki! She probably wants to leave her fur all over your legs as a gift!

a spring snow dome now................................LOL

love the colour!

Very seldom see the black around here.

Stunning and I love the little tree stump seats. I have seen a lower willow dome one made with children in mind and I have to say it makes a wonderfully safe den for them.Hel.xxx.

It's looking great.

This is so Lovely :D

A lot greener than the last photo. I'm looking forward to seeing it in full foliage.

It was supplied as a bundle of about 70 whips, a 2mtr sq piece of weed membrane and brief instructions. Lay the membrane out then just stick the whips straight into the ground through the membrane in the desired shape, not forgetting you're entrance.
I shall take more pics as it grows this year.

how clever! was it easy to make?

yes i did cut back in early spring last year when it was still dormant - but i did'nt know that they bled, i had read that Acer should only be cut during the dormant stage, so it was a spot of luck really, have'nt had too many problems with it, apart from a bit of wind burn last autumn, but i think i have now corrected that problem - it now has the greenhouse behind it and the rose arch to the side, what with the fence the other side i don't think it could be more protected lol.

Living garden sculpture! Fantastic

Is a standard that you had in mind when you say 'tree-formed'? The ones you see done as quarter-standards are grafted onto a stem - and not always done very well, either! People cut them back quite hard about now, or they can get very untidy - looking. You can also buy them as a bush, as majeeka said. Again, cut back now before it starts sprouting new leaves.

I would also add that acers can bleed quite badly when pruned so ideally so only be done when dormant

hi Gaiashelly, i have a bush type of this plant and i believe you can prune quite hard, although if you want to make it into a tree type i would imagine you would do this the same way that you would any other shrub. wait until it grows a bit taller and then take off the bottom branches and shape the top accordingly - i have done this with an Acer tree that i have, and i have also made a 'lollypop' out of a Cenothus before now too, but it does take a few years to get there. unless it is already quite tall and has a fairly obvious main stem, it is best to do this little by little each year. Salix integra is quite cheep to buy as a tree why not just get one ready done?

Hi Tony I have one of these super little trees,I love the pinky leaves I dont give mine much attension either.

it has already started to bud.in summer the leaves go pink

I HAVE TWO SALIX PLANTS IN MY GARDEN .THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN IN FEB 2008 A SHARP FROST ON THE GROUND. I DO NOT GIVE THESE PLANTS ANY SPECIAL TREETMENT.JUST WATER

You just can't help but stroke these! Lovely

Lovely Chris :)

The weeping willow next door to me reached a height of about 30 metres and approximately the same spread over about 30 years - it overlaid not only most of the garden it was in, but both gardens next to it. The trunk, by the time it was felled earlier last year, was about 1.4 metres in diameter. And it cost a few thousand to get rid of.

Willows get a fungal condition called anthracnose which makes them drop their leaves in June, shortly after they have dropped their catkins. They also throw their weak shoots in autumn. Which means you are constantly raking up heaps of dead stuff from spring to late autumn. Oh, and they have a tendency to split in high winds.

GET RID OF THEM! Unless you live in a stately home and/or have a team of gardeners to cope with the things.

Other 'weeping' trees which look pretty and don't have a health warning are silver pears, cut-leaved beech, or caragana.

hi there buzzbee, i am not 100% sure on this but i think you actually need to ask your local council before planting a weeping willow tree, as both spritz and owdboggy have said that they do get very large and i remember reeding something about the roots causing major problems to foundations of houses, drainage and even pathways and roads! i don't suppose that this would matter if you are in the middle of nowhere have a huge back garden and they are planted away from any buildings or public pathways ect, but if not it may be best to check this out before they get too big to do anything about.

Hope your weeping willows are a long way from any drains. You are not supposed to plant these trees within (I think ) 30 metres of a house either.
As for the contorted willows, we have two. I cut them right down in alternative years. This is done after the catkins have finished (the only time to prune any willow by the way). That way neither tree gets too big for its position. They are both gorwn on a 6 foot clear 'leg'. The branches are cut back to about 2 inches from where they originate. Anything which grows on the trunk is removed altogether.
Our other willows are pruned back almost to ground level each year as shrubs rather than trees.
The Kilmarnock willow is on a 3 foot stem and is pruned back like the contorted one after flowering has finished.

Yes, I wondered about whether or not it was just doing its natural thing at this time of year. We have inherited a contorted willow - now in our second winter with it. Both years the leaves were on it long after those of other deciduous trees had dropped. Right now, it is dropping leaves all over the place but still has leaves. As I recall, last winter, it went completely bald eventually but returned wonderfully in the summer. So, maybe your tree is doing its natural thing - but I am new to this, so don't take my word as gospel.

Hi - you are aware that your trees are deciduous I hope? If your question is about your trees at this time of year - and you are in the UK, then that is the reason. I hope that you have a very large garden, as this species takes up lots of space!

Fabulous tree! I love these

I was just thinking what great branches it has, completely agree on the structure.