viminalis ‘Bowhayes Strain A’

At last we’ve found an Osier we can grow successfully! All other attempts resulted in stunted plants loaded with every insect pest that can attack willows. This is a vigorous selection or hybrid of the Osier that grows long straight stems and used for hundreds of years in Europe for all kinds of different uses. It has been asked for by customers ever since we went on line with our nursery! I wrote to Bowhayes Trees in the UK to find out how it originated, but never received a reply; they sell wholesale willow and poplar selections and hybrids. Here is what we know from our experience: It is a female Osier that is very similar to S. viminalis in appearance with 6-8in long green leaves with silver undersides, downy stems and and a green-brown trunk in the first years. This is insect resistant and the species S. viminalis is not for us; so I’m guessing it’s a hybrid, perhaps S. schwerinii is the other parent!