Salix integra
Japanese willow
Common names: Harlequin willow, Dwarf willow, Pansy willow
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Hardy
- Pruning
- Feb–Mar
- Flowering
- Mar–Apr
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The Harlequin willow is a small, densely growing ornamental shrub prized for its white to pink variegated foliage. The 'Hakuro Nishiki' cultivar especially shines in spring in white, pink, and green, making a real eye‑catcher in beds and containers. It is often grown as a small stubby plant, with a crown that looks like a compact ball over a slender trunk. The inconspicuous catkins in March and April play little role; the foliage is the focus. It is frost‑hardy and winter‑resistant, even in harsh small‑garden conditions.
Care instructions
The Harlequin willow looks best when you prune it heavily in early spring, around early March (week 9 to 10), which encourages fresh variegated new growth. A sunny to semi‑shaded location with consistently moist, well‑drained soil suits it; it does not tolerate waterlogging. Water it especially during the first year of establishment and on hot summer days, then it usually copes well with normal rainfall. As a stubby plant, it benefits from a stake to keep it stable in wind. You may cut out faded or greenish shoots throughout the year to keep the variegation strong.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringMar–Apr
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, loamy, moist, nutrient-rich
The dappled willow likes it evenly moist, but does not tolerate waterlogging for long periods. A free-draining, humus-rich soil with good water retention suits it best. In heavy, loamy soils, it is best to loosen with sand or compost so that root rot has no chance.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
Mar, May
A dressing of mature compost in early spring is usually enough for the whole season. If you like, also mulch with well-rotted leaves or bark humus; this supplies the willow evenly and keeps the soil moist at the same time. You can do without mineral fertilisers for this undemanding species.
Pruning
So that the striking variegated leaves regrow strongly, cut the dappled willow back hard every year in early spring before growth starts. Regular pruning keeps the crown compact and dense and promotes fresh, especially beautifully coloured foliage. With standards, also remove suckers that sprout below the graft union.
Overwintering
The dappled willow is hardy in our latitudes and needs no special protection in the garden. Newly planted specimens or those grown as standards welcome a mulch layer over the root area in the first one to two winters. Container plants are best placed frost-free, or wrap the pot so that the roots do not freeze through.
Propagation
Methods
- Cuttings
The most reliable way to propagate the dappled willow is by hardwood cuttings, which you cut from one-year-old wood in winter. Insert the cuttings directly into the open ground or into free-draining seed compost; willows are known to root very readily. By spring strong roots have usually formed, after which you can set the young plants in their final place.
For your garden
Grow Japanese willow yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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