Willow Cuttings
Mar. 2nd, 2026 03:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithMy willow cuttings have arrived! :D I will need to unpack them and set them up. My plan is to put some in water, which makes willow water, which can be used to root other things. I shall take cuttings from some dogwoods and other things here to see if this works. I also intend to put some willow cuttings in soil to see how that works. Since willows are pretty much the easiest thing to propagate from cuttings, and I have 3 of each color, I figure at least one of each should survive.
Willow is a keystone plant, supporting many other species. Early blooms feed bees. Birds like to nest in willows. Many species of insects, especially butterfly and moth larvae, feed on them. They also make great craft materials and, as mentioned above, spew out rooting hormones.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- I unboxed the willow cuttings. They are labeled "red curly willow" but are neither the bright scarlet nor the bright goldenrod of the pictures, more like a light cinnamon which is also pretty. I'm not really fussed about this; I bought them more for shape, and caterpillars won't care about the color. I am considerably more annoyed that only one batch was in the box; the red and yellow batches were supposed to be sent together to save on shipping. >_< On the bright side, they're quite nice cuttings, obviously alive as the buds are beginning to swell. One is even long enough that I could have cut it in half and gotten two -- you really need just a few inches -- but I am more interested in getting them big enough to survive wildlife.
I have set up two willow cuttings with water in plastic cups, and one in a pot with potting soil. I also took a cutting from a red dogwood and from the fishpond mulberry that has particularly big sweet berries. I put one in each of the cups, to see if the willows will help these sprout roots. It will be interesting to observe the results.
Gold Corkscrew Curly Willow Cuttings - Live Plant - Fall and Winter Coloring 6 to 8 inches long
Now Price:$5.93+ for 3 cuttings
Sale ends on February 28
Gold Corkscrew Willow (Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’) – Description
Gold Corkscrew Willow is a striking ornamental tree known for its dramatic, twisted branches and bright golden stems. Its unique curling growth habit creates year-round visual interest, especially in winter when the leafless branches showcase their sculptural form.
In spring, narrow green leaves emerge along the spiraled branches, forming a light, airy canopy. As the growing season progresses, the foliage provides soft movement in the breeze. When autumn arrives, the leaves turn yellow before dropping to reveal the tree’s signature corkscrew framework.
The golden-yellow stems are especially vibrant in winter, making this tree a standout focal point in landscapes, snow-covered settings, and cut-branch arrangements. Florists and decorators prize its twisting stems for indoor displays and seasonal décor.
Growth & Size
Mature Height: 20–30 feet
Spread: 15–20 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
Growing Requirements
Light: Full sun for best color and structure
Soil: Adapts to most soils, including clay
Water: Prefers moist soil but tolerates occasional dry spells once established
Hardiness: USDA Zones 4–8
Gold Corkscrew Willow responds well to pruning, which encourages fresh, vibrant stem color and manageable size. It works beautifully as a specimen tree, near water features, or in open yard spaces where its twisted branches can be fully appreciated.
Bold, artistic, and easy to grow, Gold Corkscrew Willow adds movement, texture, and four-season interest to any landscape.
Ships from: Oberlin, OH
Red Bark Curly Willow Cuttings - Live Plant - Fall and Winter Coloring 6 to 8 inches long
Now Price:$5.93+ for 3 cuttings
Sale ends on February 28
The Red Bark Scarlet Curly Willow is a stunning ornamental tree celebrated for its vivid stem color and uniquely twisted, spiraling branches. This striking variety brings sculptural beauty to the landscape in every season, making it a favorite for gardeners, designers, and floral artists alike.
**Eye-Catching Red Bark**
As temperatures cool, the bark develops bold shades of red and scarlet, creating dramatic contrast in late fall and throughout winter. The vibrant stems glow against snow, evergreens, and winter skies, making this willow one of the most decorative cold-season plants available.
**Curly, Whimsical Branching**
The naturally contorted branches twist and curl in every direction, adding artistic structure and movement to the garden. These branches are also highly prized for indoor arrangements, winter décor, and floral design.
**Year-Round Interest**
* **Spring:** Fresh green leaves and new curly growth
* **Summer:** Fast-growing, graceful, and full
* **Fall:** Leaves turn golden before dropping to reveal fiery red stems
* **Winter:** Brilliant scarlet bark and dramatic curly silhouette steal the show
**Planting & Care**
* **Light:** Full sun for best color
* **Soil:** Adaptable; thrives in moist, well-drained soil
* **Water:** Likes consistent moisture but tolerates periods of dryness once established
* **Growth Habit:** Fast-growing; easily pruned to shape
* **Hardiness:** Suitable for a wide range of climates
Perfect as a focal point, winter accent plant, or source of decorative stems, the **Red Bark Scarlet Curly Willow** brings unmatched texture, color, and personality to any landscape. A striking choice for four-season beauty.
Ships from: Oberlin, OH
Willow is a keystone plant, supporting many other species. Early blooms feed bees. Birds like to nest in willows. Many species of insects, especially butterfly and moth larvae, feed on them. They also make great craft materials and, as mentioned above, spew out rooting hormones.
EDIT 3/2/26 -- I unboxed the willow cuttings. They are labeled "red curly willow" but are neither the bright scarlet nor the bright goldenrod of the pictures, more like a light cinnamon which is also pretty. I'm not really fussed about this; I bought them more for shape, and caterpillars won't care about the color. I am considerably more annoyed that only one batch was in the box; the red and yellow batches were supposed to be sent together to save on shipping. >_< On the bright side, they're quite nice cuttings, obviously alive as the buds are beginning to swell. One is even long enough that I could have cut it in half and gotten two -- you really need just a few inches -- but I am more interested in getting them big enough to survive wildlife.
I have set up two willow cuttings with water in plastic cups, and one in a pot with potting soil. I also took a cutting from a red dogwood and from the fishpond mulberry that has particularly big sweet berries. I put one in each of the cups, to see if the willows will help these sprout roots. It will be interesting to observe the results.
Gold Corkscrew Curly Willow Cuttings - Live Plant - Fall and Winter Coloring 6 to 8 inches long
Now Price:$5.93+ for 3 cuttings
Sale ends on February 28
Gold Corkscrew Willow (Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’) – Description
Gold Corkscrew Willow is a striking ornamental tree known for its dramatic, twisted branches and bright golden stems. Its unique curling growth habit creates year-round visual interest, especially in winter when the leafless branches showcase their sculptural form.
In spring, narrow green leaves emerge along the spiraled branches, forming a light, airy canopy. As the growing season progresses, the foliage provides soft movement in the breeze. When autumn arrives, the leaves turn yellow before dropping to reveal the tree’s signature corkscrew framework.
The golden-yellow stems are especially vibrant in winter, making this tree a standout focal point in landscapes, snow-covered settings, and cut-branch arrangements. Florists and decorators prize its twisting stems for indoor displays and seasonal décor.
Growth & Size
Mature Height: 20–30 feet
Spread: 15–20 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
Growing Requirements
Light: Full sun for best color and structure
Soil: Adapts to most soils, including clay
Water: Prefers moist soil but tolerates occasional dry spells once established
Hardiness: USDA Zones 4–8
Gold Corkscrew Willow responds well to pruning, which encourages fresh, vibrant stem color and manageable size. It works beautifully as a specimen tree, near water features, or in open yard spaces where its twisted branches can be fully appreciated.
Bold, artistic, and easy to grow, Gold Corkscrew Willow adds movement, texture, and four-season interest to any landscape.
Ships from: Oberlin, OH
Red Bark Curly Willow Cuttings - Live Plant - Fall and Winter Coloring 6 to 8 inches long
Now Price:$5.93+ for 3 cuttings
Sale ends on February 28
The Red Bark Scarlet Curly Willow is a stunning ornamental tree celebrated for its vivid stem color and uniquely twisted, spiraling branches. This striking variety brings sculptural beauty to the landscape in every season, making it a favorite for gardeners, designers, and floral artists alike.
**Eye-Catching Red Bark**
As temperatures cool, the bark develops bold shades of red and scarlet, creating dramatic contrast in late fall and throughout winter. The vibrant stems glow against snow, evergreens, and winter skies, making this willow one of the most decorative cold-season plants available.
**Curly, Whimsical Branching**
The naturally contorted branches twist and curl in every direction, adding artistic structure and movement to the garden. These branches are also highly prized for indoor arrangements, winter décor, and floral design.
**Year-Round Interest**
* **Spring:** Fresh green leaves and new curly growth
* **Summer:** Fast-growing, graceful, and full
* **Fall:** Leaves turn golden before dropping to reveal fiery red stems
* **Winter:** Brilliant scarlet bark and dramatic curly silhouette steal the show
**Planting & Care**
* **Light:** Full sun for best color
* **Soil:** Adaptable; thrives in moist, well-drained soil
* **Water:** Likes consistent moisture but tolerates periods of dryness once established
* **Growth Habit:** Fast-growing; easily pruned to shape
* **Hardiness:** Suitable for a wide range of climates
Perfect as a focal point, winter accent plant, or source of decorative stems, the **Red Bark Scarlet Curly Willow** brings unmatched texture, color, and personality to any landscape. A striking choice for four-season beauty.
Ships from: Oberlin, OH
(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-02 11:37 pm (UTC)Actually, it would be interesting to see which works better..
Well ...
Date: 2026-03-02 11:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-03 01:11 am (UTC)You're welcome!
Date: 2026-03-03 01:27 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-03 01:25 am (UTC)Edit: there IS a community tree-planting event this month, maybe I can scratch the itch that way.
Thoughts
Date: 2026-03-03 02:11 am (UTC)I do have a large space. However, I'm choosing mostly smaller willows. The last contorta I had only reached 10-12 feet. I don't know if these will be similar but it seems likely. Sandbar and pussy willow, a couple purchases from a different supplier, are in the large bush / small tree category.
Another cool thing about willows: you can coppice them. That means almost any willow can be kept small by cutting it back so it sends up new shoots. This is recommended for the colorful ones, because the color is brightest on the new wood and fades as it gets older. I kept encountering catalog entries that said they didn't know how big a cultivar got, because they never let it grow -- they cut it back every year to make more shoots. I wouldn't try it with a weeping willow, since it has aggressive roots, but people have done it even with those. Pussy willow is an example that lots of folks keep as a small bush, because every year they cut off some branches to bring indoors.
>> I have 5000 sq ft property and a 1000 sqft house on it. I wanna plant ALL THE THINGS but there's just not room. <<
You might consult a list of keystone species for your locale. This page has a list typical of North America:
Prioritize Top Performers: Focus on these keystone genera that support exceptional numbers of wildlife:
Oaks (Quercus)
Cherries/Plums (Prunus)
Willows (Salix)
Birches (Betula)
Poplars/Cottonwoods (Populus)
Maples (Acer)
Goldenrods (Solidago)
Asters (Symphyotrichum)
Sunflowers (Helianthus)
Some of those, like oaks and cottonwoods, tend to get really big. But cherries/plums, willows, and Japanese maples all have small options. So do goldenrods, asters, and sunflowers. I think my Japanese maple is about 4 feet high; it barely even qualifies as a bush. My yard maples are bigger, probably mostly silvers, but that's not the only option.
You might also look at the Charleston Food Forest. It's a long strip rather than squarish, but it's probably about the size of the house yards behind it. That place has crammed in a TON of stuff, not just by layering, but by using dwarf versions.
Another approach is guilds. A fruit tree guild can be -- and usually is -- built around a dwarf tree. The service guild is similar: a wild berry tree that naturally doesn't get very big. Look at whatever trees or bushes you already have, and then think what might support them or wildlife.
>> Edit: there IS a community tree-planting event this month, maybe I can scratch the itch that way. <<
That's a great idea too.
You could also look for nature reserves in your area that are supported by members. Grand Prairie Friends is up over 1000 acres now, and we're free to go out and visit those. We usually go at least once a year.