Willow

Willow cuttings for sale;

50 p each, postage at cost, descriptions below.

The naming of willow is incredibly difficult! There are vast numbers of varieties and many are very similar, perhaps only showing their differences when the willow dries out. I have therefore made up some names!!

Colour will vary along the length of a rod, and colours change in different lights...

I will add more 'colour when dry' info later in the year - some become more coloured, others fade slightly.

There are so many ways willow can be used, and growing conditions (both on your site and the weather) will hugely affect how the willow grows. Thus your best bet is to have some vigorous varieties which may not be so coloured, as well as the prettiest ones!

I have divided the willow into self-explanatory sections, and the pictures show the making of a small circle - to show how easily and smoothly the willow bends.Some are stiffer than others and more suited to structures than baskets.

The cuttings can be simply poked into the ground - perhaps through thick cardboard/ landscape fabric to control weeds - or potted up. Push at least half of the cutting into the soil, and note which way up they are! (buds pointing upwards...) In all cases, keep them damp.

Vigorous, easy growers providing base colour, some thick rods for structures, finer shoots great for weaving.

Salix triandra Black Maul - most well known weaving willow, base mottled brown/black, through to grey/brown, can weave quite thick rods if your hands are strong enough!

Olive brown - base green/brown,

tips tawny brown,

stout rods are softer to

bend than Black Maul

but tight circles only

smooth with thin rods.

Olive Russet - base olive green, through to orangey brown tips,

stout rods are softer to bend than

Black Maul but tight circles only

smooth with thin rods.

Gold yellow (S. vitellina) - base yellow green, through yellow, orange and orange/red at tips, good mix of stout and slender rods.

Slightly less vigorous, still easy growers

Best Black (Nigricans?) - base green/black,

main rod a lovely shiny black,

has little branchlets but they're

easy to remove, worth it for the colour

Salix x Mollissima Pheasant Brown - base of rods

mottled, main rod 'milk chocolate'

lovely to use

Best Gold (Yelverton?) - base and body of rod is

a more even gold to orange colour, less yellow.

Best Brown - an all brown rod, lovely to work

Not so good on my hill!

Best Green - I have many greens, some are

difficult to work a circle with but this one is good.

Tricky purple - not the easiest to weave with,

but worth growing for the colour!

Try the thinnest rods for baskets,

thick ones for structures.

Base green/brown/purple, main rod shiny purple

Willow for windbreak, animal fodder, wildlife, growing as a tree...

Basically greeny browns, very vigorous, some branch lots which is less good for baskets, won't bend to small circle, can use in structures but I have other options! - 5 FREE Cuttings per person !

yellow willow and purple browny black.jp

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WILLOW

Willow cuttings for sale;