Salix purpurea 'Green Dicks'
purpurea = purple
Purple Willow
A male selection with bright green stems that are produced in great abundance. The catkins start almost black, then turns rosy-red before the pollen matures when it turns yellow. It produces a fine long slender rod that is red during the summer months, but turns a pale apple-green in winter—hence it's name! The leaves are in pairs or single on the stem and are 2-3in long and 0.5in wide. The stems of this variety are so fine that in Europe they are used as straw or even twine! It can grow to 12ft if left uncoppiced! Will tolerate a range of soil types, but full sun is a must as with most willows in order to get the best color and form. We have now grown it for three years and are very impressed with the stem production of this selection in the photo below right there ~80 rods!
Dried rod color: light brown
USES: a fine basketry willow, makes a fine back-of-the-border plant and should be coppiced yearly in this location.
We obtained cuttings of these in April 2015, as you can see the foliage and stems are delightful!
above and right: Planted in 2014, these specimens produce dozens of slender rods after coppicing each Spring. A great rod dproducer for basketry.
WillowWorld
of Michael Dodge