Allotments 4 All

Hi

We planted this small tree (in the middle of picture) about 2 months ago and were told it is a salix.  The end of the branches bear pink leaves and it grows rather slowly.  I have had to cut down some of the branches on the left hand side as it did not balance and wonder if anyone can confirm the name ??  Thanks for any assistance.

;D

Hi Marianne.

I have something which looks similar and it's called Salix Intega 'Hakuro nishiki' and yes, I had to look that up!  It's a tri-coloured willow - light green, cream and pink. 

G xx

A close-up of the leaves would help.

If you insist, Robert, but to be honest I didn't have a problem.

G xx

Bernard?  ;D

Emma. Is this a game I'd love to join in?   ;D

G xx

Georgie, thank you very much for that !!  ;D ;D  You have described the leaves exactly how they are, pink, cream and light green. 

Have a lovely day !  ;D :D

My mum has one of those in her garden as centre piece to circular bed, don't know official name, but she calls it the Flamingo willow.  I give it a a harsh haircut just before if springs into action, it looks lovely, really bushed up.  Hope this helps. Lottie

If you are going to prune any willow, do so after the catkins have been and gone, that way you get lots of nice new young (and thus better coloured) growth AND catkins next Spring. They flower on wood produced the preceeding Summer.

Lottie and Palustris - thanks for that additional bit of information.  I pruned it because it did not seem to be "balanced"  ::) and one side had more branches than the other, if you understand what I mean -  ;D  So it seems I have now cut off next spring's catkins !  :-\  Oh well never mind.

Lottie - I love the way your mum calls hers ! "flamingo willow" sounds terrific. ;D

It does look beautiful in the middle of the lawn, which we are going to get rid of.
I also took cuttings of it last week end but unfortunately, all the leaves fell off and the pot was full of algae  ??? :-\ So I chucked the lot.
thanks again !

Your cuttings would not have been much use anyway Marianne, the top part (the coloured bit)  is grafted on to a different rootstock. If you do manage to get rooted cuttings, they usually lose the colouring and grow as a rather untidy lump!. If you do need to prune do not cut back below the graft and remember to rub out any growths on the 'trunk'.

Emma - I've just got your joke, my I must have been tired last night!  It looks more like an Eric to me.   ;)

Marianne - you are welcome.  I prune mine every March - back to about 6" per main branch.

Lottie - I could have sworn mine was also called 'flamingo' but having hunted down the label it isn't.  Odd eh?

G xx

Thanks again all.   ;D :D

Hi Marianne,

I 'rescued' a Hakuro from the local nursery last year.  Poor thing it had been pruned within an inch of it's life :'(

6 foot stem with 6" branches  :(  Still this year it has now gained a foot on each side, and will look lovely when it 'weeps' down the stem.

The colouring of your plant looks just like mine.    If more pruning necessary, March is the time! 

Palustris I await catkins with anticipation! :)

Thanks Flowerlady!
;D