Discover our selection of 8 of the most beautiful varieties of willow to grow in the garden.
In isolation or in a clump, at the edge of a body of water or in the middle of a lawn, integrate a willow into the composition of your garden.
Weeping willow (
Salix babylonica
)
The weeping willow is a very ornamental tree with fine, deciduous foliage, native to Northern China.
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When we imagine a weeping willow, with its drooping habit of great romanticism, it is he that we visualize: the weeping willow,
Salix babylonica.
This very ornamental tree with fine, deciduous foliage is native to Northern China.
It is the symbol, for Tibetans, of the tree of life.
Very hardy, it thrives in the sun (but fears drought), in very cool soils and the proximity of water could not give it more pleasure.
Admiring your reflection in the peaceful water is a unique spectacle conducive to meditation.
If you have
a large garden,
start planting this large weeping willow, which grows quickly and can reach 15 to 20 m.
Shrimp willow (
Salix integra
)
Shrimp willow is a specific deciduous subspecies Salix integra “Hakuro nishiki”.
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Native to the Japanese islands of Honshū and Kyūshū, the shrimp willow is a specific deciduous subspecies
Salix integra “Hakuro nishiki”
.
It owes its name to its young pink shoots, which turn white and green.
A beautiful spectacle to admire in a garden!
It is very decorative, easy to grow and very hardy (-20°C).
It will look great at the
bottom of a flower bed or in the heart of a free hedge
.
It can be left densely packed from its base or be led on a stem, to create a beautiful ball thanks to good pruning work.
Plant in mild sun, in cool, even moist soil.
Also read: The 10 most beautiful conifers for the garden
Peking willow or twisted willow (
Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa'
)
The winding branches of the Beijing willow are covered in bright green leaves and become bare in winter.
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The sinuous branches of the Beijing willow are covered with bright green leaves and become bare in winter, providing a most aesthetically pleasing picture.
Salix mastudana 'Tortuosa' can grow up to 10 m and it
stands out well in isolation in a garden
.
Planted in full sun, in rich and cool, even humid soil, the Beijing willow grows quickly.
It is not uncommon for the tree to quickly divide into several twisted trunks.
Very rustic, it also has the particularity of producing a bark known to be an effective analgesic.
Its lifespan is quite short: only around twenty years.
Basket willow (
Salix viminalis
)
The basket willow is a very rustic species, known for the flexibility and length of its branches used in basketry (woven to create baskets for example).
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The basket willow is a very rustic species, known for the flexibility and length of its branches used in basketry (woven to create baskets for example).
Its green and yellow catkins are beautiful from March to May, before the appearance of long leaves.
It fits perfectly
into a garden with a bucolic and country look
, planted near a pond or isolated on a lawn.
The basket willow can live between 30 and 50 years and reach 5 m at maturity.
The marsault willow (
Salix caprea
)
Due to its good hardiness, the marsault willow tolerates mountain climates well.
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The marsault willow (Salix caprea) is a small dioecious tree well known for its beautiful red-brown branches and its silky catkins, very nectar- and honey-producing, which develop in February-March.
A treat for foraging insects.
The one also called the goat willow (which greatly appreciates its leaves) measures on average 6 m when adult.
Very hardy (up to -30°C), it is easy to grow and thrives in all types of soil.
You can use marsault willow to
form a large bush,
in a high free hedge, or at the water's edge to stabilize the banks.
White willow (
Salix alba
)
With its 20 m height when mature, the white willow is a large, very decorative tree that is often found at the edge of water, frequently used to secure the banks.
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With its 20 m height when mature, the white willow is a large, very decorative tree that is often found at the edge of water, frequently used to secure the banks.
Its trunk is quite short and its branches are well erect.
Its leaves, a beautiful shiny green on top and silvery white on the underside, are covered with silky hairs.
It adapts perfectly to
planting as an isolated subject
, which will highlight it well and give it room to develop.
Pay attention to its powerful root system.
The Japanese willow or pink catkin willow (
Salix chaenomeloides Mount Aso
)
Salix chaenomeloides Mount Aso is a very ornamental shrub.
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Salix chaenomeloides Mount Aso
(Mount Aso is an active volcano in southern Japan) is a very ornamental shrub.
Its superb silky pinkish-red catkins appear at the end of February-beginning of March, to announce the imminent arrival of spring.
This bushy shrub is hardy (down to -20°C) and very easy to grow in cool soil.
It can reach 2 to 3 m, which makes it a plantation perfectly suited
to free hedges or shrub beds
.
In isolation or on the edge it also always creates a sensation.
Do not hesitate to prune it to encourage it to produce more young, very flowering branches.
Red osier willow (
Salix purpurea
)
The purple willow or red willow has the particularity of being bushy, dense and bushy and can be used in beds or in a country hedge.
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A pioneer species, the purple willow or red willow has the particularity of being
bushy, dense and bushy
and can be used in flowerbeds or as a rural hedge.
It can reach 1 to 6 m, depending on your desire.
The
Salix purpurea 'Nana'
variety does not exceed 1.20 m and 1.50 m.
The red wicker willow flowers in March and April, before the appearance of the beautiful bluish green leaves with silvery reflections.
Its branches are thin and supple (perfect for basketry) and are an elegant red-brown.
Plant this tree in the sun, in rather heavy and rich soil.