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Salix purpurea Howki - Purple Willow

Salix purpurea Howki
Purple Willow, Purple Osier

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A very dense willow, taller than wide, recognisable by its young branches tinged with shiny red, very ornamental in winter. This variety is distinguished by a narrow columnar habit and spring foliage tinted orange. The narrow leaves then turn silver-grey. This elegant and undemanding willow is perfect for quickly forming low hedges, whether trimmed or untrimmed. It is a riverside plant that appreciates poor, moist to wet soils, but can also tolerate occasional dryness.
Height at maturity
5 m
Spread at maturity
2.50 m
Exposure
Sun, Partial shade
Hardiness
Hardy down to -23.5°C
Soil moisture
Moist soil, Damp soil
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Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time March to May, September to November
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Flowering time March to April
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Description

The Purple Osier or Salix purpurea 'Howki', also known as Purple Willow or Red Willow, is a variety with a narrow and columnar habit that can reach up to 7m in height and only 2-3m in width. it is vigorous and develops long, lanceolate, narrow, and silver-green leaves. They are very attractive in spring as they are tinged with orange. The flowering occurs early in spring, before the leaves appear, in the form of small but numerous intense pink basal flowers, bringing colour to the garden at a time when it lacks vibrancy. This fast-growing willow can be pruned at any time of the year and is perfect for quickly creating an elegant ensemble, in an informal or clipped hedge.

Salix purpurea belongs to the Salicaceae family. It is a species widely distributed in Europe, Central Asia, Japan, and North Africa. In its natural habitat, this pioneer species colonises the banks of rivers and ponds, on sandy or gravel-rich soil. While it appreciates a certain level of humidity, the purple willow does not tolerate constantly flooded soils that suffocate its roots. It can withstand moderate periods of drought. Its lifespan is about 20 years. The Red Willow has a dense, ball-shaped habit, composed of numerous thin, flexible, and heavily branched stems close to the ground. At maturity, this small, fast-growing willow will not exceed 5-6m in height, typically forming a large shrub 2.50m in height and 1.50m in width. The young branches are shiny mahogany red and become grey-green with age. The buds are also purple. The deciduous foliage consists of leaves arranged in an opposite, rather than alternate, fashion as in most other willows. They are thin and narrow, elliptical in shape, measuring 5 to 8cm in length. The upper side of the leaf is light green-silver, while the underside is bluish with prominent veins. The foliage turns yellow in autumn. The insignificant flowering takes place in March-April, before the leaves appear. Male specimens bear silky, 3 to 5cm long catkins, a silver-green colour punctuated by purple stamens. Female specimens bear shorter and inconspicuous catkins. The fruit is a fuzzy capsule that releases decorative seeds covered in long bristles.

Salix purpurea 'Howki' is a columnar variety, tall and narrow for its type, reaching a height of 4-6m (up to 7m) and a width of 2-3m at maturity.

As elegant in flower beds as in hedges, the Purple Willow 'Howki' is particularly attractive in spring during flowering and leaf emergence and brings a colourful touch and a touch of wild grace to the garden. It easily fits into a country hedge and naturally finds its place near water features. It is used in basketry and tolerates repeated pruning, a quality sought after for creating large, well-maintained borders or hedges, both in contemporary and natural gardens. It can also be planted on large, moderately dry slopes, where it will retain the soil. Regularly prune it after flowering to encourage dense growth and the production of numerous red and floriferous branches. For example, it can be associated with dogwoods (Cornus Baton rouge, Cornus Flaviramea, Cornus sanguinea), hazelnuts, Japanese quinces, flowering almonds, or brooms in a mixed hedge.

Properties:

This purple willow is a honey-producing plant, also widely used in basketry. Its ability to stabilise unstable soils along riverbanks through its extensive and branching root system is used for riverbank restoration.

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Willow, Salix: planting, pruning and care
Family sheet
by Eva 18 min.
Willow, Salix: planting, pruning and care
Read article

Plant habit

Height at maturity 5 m
Spread at maturity 2.50 m
Habit irregular, bushy
Growth rate fast

Flowering

Flower colour insignificant
Flowering time March to April
Fruit colour white

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour green
Product reference • 22190

Planting and care

Plant Purple Willow Howki preferably in autumn, in a very sunny or partially shaded position in warm climates. It requires a fairly deep soil, preferably neutral to limestone, moist but well-drained and poor. It prefers soil that occasionally dries out rather than heavy, constantly waterlogged soil. However, it can tolerate poor and sandy soils, even gravelly ones. Ideally, at planting, use a mixture composed of half compost and half garden soil mixed with coarse sand and gravel if it is compact and clayey. It is perfectly resistant to cold and heavy frost. To promote a bushy habit and the formation of flowering branches, prune it short at the start of vegetation, every 2 or 3 years, or simply maintain its shape every year after flowering.

 

Planting period

Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time March to May, September to November

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow, Woodland edge, Pond edge
Type of use Border, Hedge
Hardiness Hardy down to -23.5°C (USDA zone 6a) Show map
Ease of cultivation Beginner
Exposure Sun, Partial shade
Soil pH Neutral, Calcareous
Soil type Chalky (poor, alkaline and well-drained), Silty-loamy (rich and light), Stony (poor and well-drained)
Soil moisture Moist soil, Damp soil, well-draining soil, fairly deep, not too rich.

Care

Pruning instructions Pruning is not essential. However, the Purple Willow can be pruned using two methods: 1. Cutting it back to the ground every year to promote the growth of new wood. 2. Simply pruning to shape in a hedge.
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time March, May
Soil moisture Moist soil, Damp soil
Disease resistance Very good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground

Planting & care advice

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