integra

This species is native to China, Japan, Korea and Russia and is an attractive, vigorous upright small tree 12-15 feet tall with slightly weeping shoots. Several selections have been named and the cultivars are smaller and more spreading. The stemless leaves are bluish-green and clasp the stems in opposite pairs; young leaves are delicately tinted with orange and pink tones. This is a female selection (curiously all the named cultivars of this species are also female selections–there must be guys somewhere!). The branchlets are yellow to red, smooth and shiny; the rods tend to peel their outer layer to reveal green stems. The flowers are small and not showy and appear before the leaves. After coppicing it grows 8-10ft in a single year with very few branches making it suitable for living structures and basketry! Cuttings were obtained from one of our generous customers! I have seen this species in only one Public Gardens in North America and that was the Montreal Botanic Garden! It was unlabelled, but I was able to inform them what it was, as I already had it in my collection! The Arnold Arboretum list it in their collection, but I haven’t seen their specimen. Less tolerant of wet conditions than most Salix.