Willow trees (Salix) add a sense of peace and serenity to garden designs. Willows are very adaptable and can thrive in many soil types including clay. They grow very fast and can easily add height to a landscape with their graceful branches that seem to ‘weep’ down. These fast growing and versatile trees make an excellent addition to gardens, troughs, water features or even containers.
The most common weeping willow is the botanical name Salix Salix Nurseries Port Perry babylonica. This willow has long branches and can add height to a garden setting. Originally from China, this willow can be grown in full sun to partial shade and has low to moderate watering requirements. It’s also a good choice for wet areas and wetlands where it can provide shade and help stabilize the soil.
Jan Webber, the Founder of Willow Nursery and Nursery Director is passionate about her education work, using the Reggio Emilio approach to teaching children which encourages child centric and child led learning. She explains that she believes every person at the nursery is important and that everyone should be respected equally, whether they are a child or a member of staff. Jan has a great team of people at the nursery and they all work closely together. The team are highly qualified and experienced nursery practitioners who have a lot of knowledge about the plants and are happy to work with children.
There are many different willow cultivars available, all of which have their own unique characteristics. Dune willow (Salix syrticola) has arching branches and silvery leaves that give it an attractive appearance in the garden. It is also a useful plant for riparian restoration projects and can be used to create bioswales. It is an excellent alternative to the more common species like ash and oak.
Another popular willow is a weeping variety called Goodding’s black willow (Salix gooddingii). This willow has a slower growth rate than most other willows and can be used as a replacement for invasive species in wetland areas. It also grows well in a more urban environment and is tolerant to drought.
Salicaceae dioecious willows and cottonwoods are often planted in riparian restoration projects as they can be readily propagated from woody cuttings taken either from the project site or from stooling beds in nurseries during their winter dormant season. However, exclusive use of vegetatively propagated material may prevent the creation of a diverse community of plant species in riparian restoration projects. This is because dioecious willows and Cottonwoods tend to become dominant in a planting due to their prolific seed production.
A few of the other willows we were shown during the tour include ‘Bronze Beauty’ (a female clone of S. myricoides Muhl), ‘Filigree’ (a male clone of S. interior Rowlee) and ‘Pamyati Shaburov’ (a hybrid of S. babylonica x S. xpendulina Wender). Pamyati is named after Veniamin I. Shaburov, a Russian willow breeder who developed the cultivar in 2007. The cultivar is a cold-hardy weeping willow that has an oval crown and pendulous branches, suitable for cultivation in northern climates.