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Plants with Winter
Interest - Corkscrew Willow
In
recent weeks, Franklin County Master Gardeners Carol Kagan and Jerry Lewis
introduced us to the contorted hazel, or Harry Lauder's Walking Stick, and
Coral Embers Willow, Salix alba. In this article, Master Gardener Ray Eckhart
talks about another tree with Winter Interest that has aspects of both -
Corkscrew Willow, or Salix matsudana.
Corkscrew
Willow is a small to medium-sized, upright spreading tree of about 30 feet
in height with a 15-foot-spread. The
main ornamental feature of this plant is the contorted and twisted branches and
twigs. Branches arise from the trunk at an acute angle and grow up almost
parallel to the trunk before they curve back to the horizontal. The winter
branch pattern is most interesting and probably accounts for the popularity of
the tree.
It
is native to China and hardy to zone 5, and the warmer parts of zone 4.
The
cultivar 'Tortuosa' was introduced into North America in 1923 when Harvard
University’s Arnold Arboretum received a cutting from China, it was named the
next year and entered commerce during the 1930s.
Corkscrew
willow grows best in full or partial sun, and tolerates multiple soil
conditions including clay, sand, and loam, and both acidic and alkaline pH’s And, like all willows is more tolerant than
most plants to "wet feet" conditions, or conditions where the soil
stays saturated or soggy for several days after a rain.
Pollarding,
a method of pruning that keeps trees and shrubs smaller than they would naturally
grow (a practice generally not recommended for most trees), can, in this case,
enhance the contorted effect in winter landscapes.
The
best time to prune, or pollard, is late winter.
The
added bonus is that the trimmings can be used in dried arrangements, or as
support structures for climbing vines in container gardening.
Like
all willows, corkscrew willow is very easy to propagate. Take your
cuttings, or prunings, and place in water, and they'll root easily. The reason
is that willow cuttings secrete a hormone called auxin, which
stimulates growth and encourages roots to form. Auxin is also water
soluble, so it dissolves in the water and creates a solution that can then be
used to help root other plants. You can even make your own "Willow
Water" by cutting up twigs of willow and letting them steep in
water. The resultant "tea" can then be used to increase the
success of rooting other plants.
Learn
more about Plants with Winter Interest:
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