Weird willows add texture, color to garden
Published 5:31 pm Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Willows are among the more interesting shrubs and trees, especially this time of year, when soft, gray pussycats curl up along their stems.
Willows have other weirdnesses too: Just look at the form of the branches. Most people picture gracefully weeping branches when they think of willows, but corkscrew willow branches not only point upwards instead, but corkscrew up into space.
A variety of white willow with the forgettable name Chermesina, or equally forgettable Britzensis, has bright red stems. For something sunnier, Vitellina is a willow with bright yellow stems.
The stem color of either of these willows is brightest in winter.
And for willow stems both colorful and twisted, try the willow varieties Flame and Scarlet Curls, both with bright orangish red stems in winter and somewhat contorted branches.
For willow weirdness during the growing season, there’s a willow called Tricolor. The usual color for willow leaves is green, sometimes with a silvery or bluish cast, but Tricolor’s leaves are splashed in pink, white and yellow. As summer marches in, the the leaves fade to green.
Willows usually have either male or female flowers, and those fuzzy buds are the male flowers, also called catkins. So even though only a couple of willow species are commonly called pussy willows, a number of other species also have decorative — or weird — catkins.
Some of the willows already mentioned make pretty good pussy willows. Fuzzy gray catkins stud the corrugated, flat, contorted branches of fantail willows forced to bloom indoors this time of year. Gray isn’t the only color possibility for catkins.
Rosegold is a variety of willow whose catkins are blushed pink and twice as long as other willows. Black pussy willow has purplish black catkins that look both eerie and elegant, and the stems are purplish black in winter.
Willow roots seek water, so put plenty of distance between any willow and a water or septic line.
Willows are fast growing, hardy, leaf out early, and hold their leaves, then a golden yellow, late into autumn.
