Salix triandra 'Whissender'
triandra = 3 stamens
Almond-leaf Willow
This came to us as S. daphnoides 'Purple Heart' (a female selection) so as soon as it flowered with male catkins we had a big oops! We checked it out and found it is a very cool selection of S. triandra and by far the most vigorous and prettiest of the triandras we have grown; also one of the most popular in Europe for basket-makers to boot. As you can see it's a free-flowering male selection that bees swarm to! Another amazing feature of the Triandras is their exfoliating bark that rivals any other type of tree grown for this purpose (Cornus, Maples, Pines, Birch, Plane/Sycamore, Stewartia, Crepe Myrtle etc.)! Will grow on poor ground and light sandy soil. Coppice every 2-3 to get the best rods; but remember it only flowers on old wood, so don't coppice every year. Hardy to Zone 4.
Dried rod color: light green to tan
USES: great for ornamental uses in the garden, winter displays and cut stems; produces great rods for baskets and fedges.
Stages of catkin development: from young tight catkins to mature flowers.
Typical triandra leaves with ovate–lanceolate leaves, serrated edges and paler underneath.
In most of North America we can't grow Acacias outdoors! So why not grow 'Whissender' instead!
Bees will love you for that, if you don't use any poisonous pesticides big chemical companies want you to use!!!
They don't make money from bees, so it appears they are treated like a pest!
Bark on 4-5 year old trees exfoliates in this very cool way, exposing the red underbark, before turning gray-green.
In September the flattened flower buds develop.
Persistent stipules on the stem that has turned brown overwinter.
One of the brightest displays of catkins in all Willowdom!
WillowWorld
of Michael Dodge