Streamco Willow (Salix purpurea)
A deciduous shrub from the Willow Family (Salicaceae)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 to 6
|
15 ft.
|
15 ft.
|
Fast
|
Full to Part Shade
|
Slender Shrub
|
prefers moist, poorly drained soils of variable pH
|
 Streamco Willow, a species introduced from Europe in colonial days to grow for the production of woven baskets, has escaped on a limited basis into wet areas of Ohio and has since been re-introduced as both an ornamental shrub, and as a shrub to be planted for erosion control along waterways.
Also known as Basket Willow and Purpleosier Willow, it has blue-green, lance-shaped leaves that easily turn over in the breeze, showing their silvery undersides. It is the only Willow that occasionally has buds oriented in opposite and subopposite positions on its twigs, rather than just in alternate fashion. In addition, the first-year twigs are purplish, adding an interesting color to the winter landscape.
Streamco Willow grows to 15 feet tall by 15 feet wide, with compact and dwarf forms that achieve smaller mature sizes. As a member of the Willow Family, it is related to the Poplars and to other Willows.
Planting Requirements - Streamco Willow grows in any type of soil, so long as it is permanently wet. Under conditions where this shrub is planted on dry land (for erosion control or as an ornamental shrub), it prefers moist, poorly drained soils of variable pH. It is found in zones 3 to 6.
Potential Problems - Streamco Willow, like most Poplars and Willows, is susceptible to a broad array of insects and diseases, but is generally more healthy than the average Willow. Trunk canker seems to be an infrequent problem, but pruning away the infected area generally remedies the situation. Like most Willows, Streamco Willow can be pruned to the ground if it gets too unruly, and it recovers within a matter of weeks with fresh new growth.
Leaf Identification Features
 Streamco Willow has narrow, lanceolate to almost linear leaves that are blue-green on their upper leaf surfaces, with sparsely serrated leaf margins.
Leaves are usually alternate, but may also be subopposite or opposite along the thin, purple twigs. |
 When turned over in a breeze, the narrow leaves expose their silvery undersides, making a striking contrast on this very multistemmed shrub. |
Other Identification Features
Streamco Willow has pendulous flowers that are often curved, with male and female flowers on separate shrubs for this dioecious species.
|
The first-year twigs are bronzed on sides exposed to full sunlight, but remains green, lime, or yellow-colored in areas not exposed to direct sun, such as the lower sides of many twigs, or twigs that are shaded.
|
On second-year twigs, branchlets, branches, and even trunks, the smooth bark of Streamco Willow is gray to gray-brown and highly reflective of sunlight when leaves have dropped in winter. |
Twigs are usually extremely dense, except on old specimens whose weighty branches have fallen away from the center. |
|