The tree is medium to large sized, deciduous, growing up to 20-40 feet tall with a spread half its length. The curly willow tree is a fast grower, but a very short lived tree. It grows upright with its branches spiraling all the along. The willow bears narrow light green colored leaves, and in spring it bears catkins (flowers) with the male and female flowers on separate trees. The curly willow tree is dioecious. The flowers are borne around April – May, pale yellow color. A popular ornamental tree for landscaping, not for its foliage or flowers, but its twisted and contorted branches. Curly willow can easily be propagated from softwood, semi-hardwood or hardwood cuttings. And except in winters can be easily planted anytime of the year. They do well in soils whose pH balance is 5.6 to 7.8, and can thrive in full or partial sun. They enjoy soil that is moist, so make sure there aren’t too many gaps between their watering frequency. Read more on soil testing.
A popular cultivar, Salix matsudana Tortuosa’, is often grown as a bonsai tree. They can also be grown in pots and containers, and their multiple branches can be pruned into a single trunk. The bonsai or small trees look amazing as different willow cultivars come with different foliage color. Even as a bonsai or a container plant, maintain the soil pH balance. The tree does not have a long life, besides this, their branches are not very strong, and are susceptible to breakage. While planting a curly willow avoid the wind path. Even curly willow roots are small, so are affected by strong winds. Besides this, the bark is very thin and keeps falling off adding to the garden litter. Curly willow trees are vulnerable to aphid, moth and sticky black larvae attack. They can eat into leaves, and at times into young stems too. Borer is another pest, that can drill holes right into the trunks, and can even kill the tree.
Curly Willow Branches
The curly willow tree branches make for attractive center pieces. As the branches are slender they can be twisted to suit a particular design. Using these flexible branches, one can make curly willow floral arrangements. And if you do not want to use willow branches in a floral arrangement, you can leave the twisted branches just the way they are, bare, for an extremely dramatic effect. Place them alone in a tall vase on a high shelf, on the floor, or around some sculptures or paintings, and watch it accentuate your living room. One can even use the curly willow designs such as its twisted branches for crafts like card making. Read how you can make a wedding centerpiece with curly willow branches.
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