fragilis f. Vitellina ‘Britzensis’

‘Britzensis’ is a male cultivar with young stems that are the reddest willow we grow! It was raised from seed in the town of Britz in Germany and is a hybrid. Incidentally, this is not the same as the German cultivar ‘Chermesina’ even though some nurseries claim they are the same. It grows as an upright, medium sized tree, but much better if coppiced or pollarded. The young leaves of coppiced plants have the same silver-gray hairs as the species S. alba. The Montreal Botanic Garden has a mature pollarded specimen that is truly amazing all winter (see photos at right)! Will grow in poor soils as long as they are not too dry.