Curly Stems | Vermont Willow Nursery https://vermontwillownursery.com Buds up! Tue, 08 Sep 2026 01:20:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 https://i0.wp.com/vermontwillownursery.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/cropped-IMG_0508-1.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Curly Stems | Vermont Willow Nursery https://vermontwillownursery.com 32 32 196090059 babylonica ‘Tortuosa’ https://vermontwillownursery.com/product/babylonica-tortuosa/ Sun, 03 Oct 2021 15:40:06 +0000 https://vermontwillownursery.com/?post_type=product&p=176 Dragons-claw Willow

matsudana = after Sadahisa Matsuda, a Japanese botanist

 

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Willow AT A GLANCE

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USDA Hardiness Zone

4+

Blooming Period

Stay tuned!

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Sex

Female

Potential Height

30 ft

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Uses

An imposing curling ornamental if allowed to grow, curly upright cut stems if coppiced

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The post babylonica ‘Tortuosa’ first appeared on Vermont Willow Nursery.

]]> A unique jade-green contorted tree that grows 20-30ft if left unpruned. The color of the stems is rare in woody plants and that makes this selection so special. This male selection of Salix babylonica f. Tortuosa has bright green foliage. Less prone to die back than some twisted willows.

Description Credit to Michael Dodge

The post babylonica ‘Tortuosa’ first appeared on Vermont Willow Nursery.

]]> 176 pendulina f. Erythroflexuosa ‘Caradoc’ https://vermontwillownursery.com/product/pendulina-f-erythroflexuosa-caradoc/ Sun, 03 Oct 2021 15:35:43 +0000 https://vermontwillownursery.com/?post_type=product&p=1102 Caradoc Curly Willow

Caradoc =  one of the Knights of the Round Table

babylonica f. erythroflexuosa x alba f. vitellina

 

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Willow AT A GLANCE

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USDA Hardiness Zone

Does well in our 4a, but we recommend 5+

Blooming Period

Stay tuned!

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Sex

Stay tuned!

Potential Height/Width

20-30 ft

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Uses

Ornamental upright growing curly willow, cut stems

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The post pendulina f. Erythroflexuosa ‘Caradoc’ first appeared on Vermont Willow Nursery.

]]> A contorted hybrid tree with orange-yellow young stems that are passed on by genes from the Golden Willow (S. xfragilis f. vitellina). It grows 20-30ft if left unpruned and is one of the most upright selections. The foliage is bright green and is also contorted; it is less prone to die back than other twisted willows.

Description Credit to Michael Dodge

The post pendulina f. Erythroflexuosa ‘Caradoc’ first appeared on Vermont Willow Nursery.

]]> 1102 udensis ‘Sekka’ https://vermontwillownursery.com/product/udensis-sekka/ Thu, 30 Sep 2021 19:29:36 +0000 https://vermontwillownursery.com/?post_type=product&p=1024 Fantail, Fishtail or Dragon-tail Willow

uden = the Uden Region of Siberia

sekka = perhaps in honor of Kamisaka Sekka, a famous 19-20thC Japanese artist

 

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Willow AT A GLANCE

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USDA Hardiness Zone

4+

Blooming Period

Late Spring

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Sex

Male

Potential Height/Width

15 ft tall, 10 ft wide

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Uses

A highly unique ornamental, otherworldly cut stems

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The post udensis ‘Sekka’ first appeared on Vermont Willow Nursery.

]]> One of the most unique specimens in our possession, ‘Sekka’ is truly a sight to behold. This arresting willow is something straight out of a Dr. Suess book!

The “fantail” that you see is caused by fasciation. This condition occurs naturally across many different types of plants and is benign. There are several known causes for this, but many unknown. Fasciations regularly manifest on ‘Sekka’ leading us to believe it’s genetics.

‘Sekka’ can grow up to a height of at least fifteen feet. The bark tends towards brown-green. The sections that fantail are often densely packed with catkins. As with all willows, catkins are generated on the previous year’s new growth.

In addition to being an ornamental planting, the fasciated sections can be cut and let to dry for a beautiful tabletop centerpiece that will last for years. We’ve also seen them as lovely wreaths!

Read more about fasciations here

The post udensis ‘Sekka’ first appeared on Vermont Willow Nursery.

]]> 1024 babylonica f tortuosa ‘Dart’s Snake’ https://vermontwillownursery.com/product/babylonica-f-tortuosa-darts-snake/ Wed, 29 Sep 2021 02:05:15 +0000 https://vermontwillownursery.com/?post_type=product&p=164 Snake Curly Willow

 

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Willow AT A GLANCE

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USDA Hardiness Zone

4+

Blooming Period

Stay tuned!

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Sex

Male

Potential Height/Width

20 ft - 30 ft

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Uses

Ornamental tree, accent to weaving projects

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The post babylonica f tortuosa ‘Dart’s Snake’ first appeared on Vermont Willow Nursery.

]]> The Dragon’s Claw Willow is the original Chinese Curly Willow and the first curly willow seen in the West. It was introduced to France, likely to Vilmorin’s nursery near Paris, by the Belgian engineer and plant collector Joseph Hers during the early 1920s. It is said to be a small tree with an upright, but weeping habit and according to some European authorities it is best kept as a large shrub, but there are much larger specimens in North America that grow to 30ft; perhaps the wood ripens better with the prolonged hotter temperatures experienced here. It is a female selection and is one of the commonest forms of curly willow in gardens and the trade. The stems of our clone are a darker color than most curly willows; Michael saw this in China in 2018 and the stems were bright green. Nearly all curly willow cultivars and hybrids have originated from this original form.

Description Credit to Michael Dodge

The post babylonica f tortuosa ‘Dart’s Snake’ first appeared on Vermont Willow Nursery.

]]> 164 pendulina f. Erythroflexuosa ‘Golden Curls’ https://vermontwillownursery.com/product/pendulina-f-erythroflexuosa-golden-curls/ Tue, 28 Sep 2021 20:10:48 +0000 https://vermontwillownursery.com/?post_type=product&p=966 Golden Curly Weeping Willow

babylonica f. tortuosa’ x fragilis f. vitellina  

babylonica = named by Carl Linnaeus

 

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Willow AT A GLANCE

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USDA Hardiness Zone

4+

Blooming Period

Mid Spring

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Sex

Female

Potential Height/Width

20 to 30 ft? high, 20 ft wide

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Uses

Ornamental tree, cut stems

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The post pendulina f. Erythroflexuosa ‘Golden Curls’ first appeared on Vermont Willow Nursery.

]]> ‘Golden Curls’ is a female selection of this highly variable species. Unlike some other curly willows this has a definite weeping habit, but it weeps with very curly golden-red twigs not straight down like the Golden Weeping Willow. We’ve had this plant for several years and weren’t sure whether to list it or not, but finally we realized that this weeping habit was unique among curly willows. It would look simply fabulous planted on the back of a pond where it could dangle over the water and provide delightful reflections. You have to protect it from beavers with heavy-duty metal fencing around the trunk for at least 3ft as they would munch through the trunk in a few hours (believe me, I have seen this happen!).

Description Credit to Michael Dodge

The post pendulina f. Erythroflexuosa ‘Golden Curls’ first appeared on Vermont Willow Nursery.

]]> 966 pendulina f. Erythroflexuosa https://vermontwillownursery.com/product/pendulina-f-erythroflexuosa/ Mon, 30 Aug 2021 19:37:06 +0000 https://vermontwillownursery.com/?post_type=product&p=336 Scarlet Curly Willow

erythro = red

flexuosa = curly

 

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USDA Hardiness Zone

5+

Blooming Period

Mid Spring

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Sex

Male

Potential Height/Width

15 to 25 ft high

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Uses

Ornamental, winter color, cut stems

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The post pendulina f. Erythroflexuosa first appeared on Vermont Willow Nursery.

]]> A hybrid said to be a cross between the Golden Weeping Willow, S. x pendulina f. salamonii ‘Chrysocoma’ and the Chinese curly-stemmed willow S. babylonica f. tortuosa found in Argentina. I believe that S. fragilis f. vitellina ‘Britzensis’ was involved with the breeding as the young stems are as red as that cultivar and it is more upright than other curly willows.

This is a male selection with bright yellow catkins that flower for us in late April. This is a show-piece plant with year-long interest from the shining copper-red twisted stems. Grows 15-25ft tall with upright trunks, and branches that twist in many directions. Grows well in average soil and full sun, and can be pruned to keep it smaller. Can also be coppiced to produce great cut stems for flower arrangements, especially if mixed with S. gracilistyla or ‘Mt Aso’.

 

Description Credit to Michael Dodge

The post pendulina f. Erythroflexuosa first appeared on Vermont Willow Nursery.

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