Miyabeana originates from Hokkaido, Japan, and was offered to the Ministry of Natural Resources in Ontario for biomass experiments (Checklist for Cultivars of Salix L.). It eventually found it’s way to the wonderful folks over at Cornell University, who have done extensive studies on it. The fact sheet for Sx61 is currently unavailable, but can be found here: https://willow.cals.cornell.edu/extension/#factsheets
Our miyabeana cultivars are extremely vigorous! In 2020, our friend Aresh Javadi and his understudy Minerva came and coppiced our entire patch of miyabeana. Between Spring and Fall, they all grew rods over six feet long. No, that is NOT a typo! Miyabeana is a proven winner and would work well as a privacy screen, wind/snowbreak, creating living and dried structures, early pollinator assistance…you get the idea. All of this vigor and it tops out at relatively small size. This willow keeps a nice, lively green-yellow throughout the year and taper to red at the tips.
Sx61 has also been featured in Beyond the Pellet, as a supplement to rabbit feed.
*anecdotally, we have sent miyabeana and it’s variations all over the country, and have not had reports of issues planting in hardiness zones above 6