Salix xehrhartiana

ehrhartiana = named for Ehrhart

Ehrhart's Willow

This European willow is a natural hybrid between S. alba and S. pentandra and grows into a handsome tree to 25ft. It has dark glossy foliage and showy golden male catkins that appear with the leaves. The young stems are a delicious wine red color that are especially striking in winter. Hardy to Zone 4.

USES: ornamental tree; basketry

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Ehrhart’s Willow is not a common willow in the trade, but should be, with its lovely flowers and wine-red stems. Shown in mid-July.

Catkins develop on short growth spurs from the previous year's wood.

Bright yellow male catkins cover the twigs with blossom in early May.

Probably has too many side branches for basketry, but wouldn't those stems a wonderful color to a basket?

It would also make a lovely living structure, so I need to build one to see if I'm right! Mid-July

Here's the trunk of the uncoppiced tree shown at right. We occasionally allow some stems to go uncoppiced so that we see the mature color of the wood, the branching structure and, in many cases, to get them to flower for photos. Those willows that flower on short growth stems, like this one, don't flower until they're more mature. Both photos mid-September.

Overwintering flower buds shown in mid October.

WillowWorld

of Michael Dodge