Woven willow

The Weeping Golden Willow, in Latin Salix alba, is a variety of White Willow whose golden branches have been patiently woven to form a column. Crowned with beautiful glossy foliage in spring and summer, the shimmering branches of this osier are revealed particularly under the pale winter sun, yellow and shiny. More hardy and less invasive than bamboo, this bush takes up little space on the ground and can compete with it in elegance and flexibility, whether as a standalone subject, in a green room, or in a container on the terrace. It grows in the sun, in any deep garden soil, simply remaining slightly moist or more noticeably humid. Its maintenance consists of pruning misplaced twigs in winter and reducing its growth through pruning.

Originally from wet areas of Europe, temperate Asia, and North Africa, Salix alba is a highly adaptable tree with very rapid growth, reaching up to 20m (65ft) in height and 10m (32ft) in width if not pruned. It belongs to the family Salicaceae and the genus Salix, which includes no less than 300 species distributed in the cold regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Its habit is generally rounded, with the tree developing one or several trunks topped by a wide crown. The flexible long branches of this willow have the ability to twist and root very easily, allowing inventive gardeners and horticulturists to shape it as they wish. It is often cultivated in the form of a "pollard" for the production of osier. Some cultivars and varieties derived from this willow have been selected for their beautiful bark coloration.

Weeping Golden Willow should be regularly pruned if one does not want it to reach 10m (32ft) in height. The long flexible branches are pubescent when young, then they take on a beautiful bright yellow colour. They bear deciduous to semi-evergreen leaves in winter, 10cm (3.9in) long, narrow and lanceolate in shape. Both surfaces of the lamina are silky, with the upper surface being shiny and coloured a deep green, and the lower surface a white-silver colour. Flowering occurs in April-May, at the same time as the young leaves appear. It is a dioecious tree, with male and female subjects. The male catkins are slender, 3 to 5cm (2in) long, arched and spreading, yellowish in colour. The female catkins are smaller, denser, and green in colour. The bark of this tree becomes more brown and longitudinally fissured with age. Its powerful root system, both taprooted and extensively spreading, is perfectly adapted to deep and unstable soils. For this reason, it is advisable to keep this willow away from water pipes. The white willow is also a medicinal plant, with its bark being the first source of aspirin. Salix alba can reach the venerable age of 100 years.

Install your Weeping Golden Willow in a column in a strategic location in the garden, as a standalone specimen or in groups of 3 subjects. Also place it in a carefully chosen large pot on the terrace or balcony, monitoring watering: it will have a great effect and earn you compliments from your visitors! You can also plant several subjects in a row to form a small graphic hedge that will delimit a vegetable garden square or elegantly hide your compost, clotheslines, a small tool shed... The golden stems of this willow intertwine to form magnificent geometric shapes, over which a dense foliage towers, creating a true living sculpture that is constantly evolving.

Tip: Collect fallen leaves in autumn and burn them if the tree shows black spots (anthracnose) or yellow-orange spots (rust) during its growth. Once all the leaves have fallen, treat with Bordeaux mixture.