Salix purpurea Nana - Purple Willow

Salix purpurea 'Nana' (synonym gracilis) is a lovely dwarf form of Purple Willow, a botanical species also known as red (purple) osier, recognised by its often shiny young branches that make it particularly ornamental in winter. This small, rounded and bushy shrub also has a fine greenish-blue foliage with elegant silvery reflections, and is adorned in early spring with fairly delicate, drooping catkins, tinged with silver and touched with purple. It can be pruned at any time of the year. This fast-growing willow is perfect for quickly creating an elegant ensemble, in a free or trimmed hedge.

Salix purpurea belongs to the Salicaceae family. It is a deciduous botanical species widely distributed in Europe, central Asia, and Japan, as well as in North Africa. In its natural habitat, this pioneering species colonises the banks of rivers and ponds, on sandy or gravel-rich soil. While it appreciates some humidity, it does not tolerate constantly flooded soils that suffocate its roots. It can withstand periods of moderate drought. Its lifespan is around 20 years. The cultivar 'Nana' (gracilis) is a reduced-size selection in all its parts.

It has a more bushy than shrubby habit, hemispherical, both upright and drooping, composed of a multitude of thin, flexible and closely branched stems near the ground. At maturity, this small, fast-growing willow will not exceed 1.25 m (4.1 ft) in all directions. The young branches are shiny mahogany red and then become greyish-green with age. The buds are also purple in colour. The deciduous foliage consists of leaves arranged in an opposite manner and not alternate as in most other willows. They are thin and narrow, elliptical in shape, measuring 3 cm to 5 cm (1.2 in to 2 in) long. The lamina is light green-silver on the upper side, while the underside is bluish and traversed by prominent veins. The foliage turns yellow in autumn. Discreet flowering occurs in March-April, before the appearance of the leaves. The male subjects bear silky catkins measuring 3 cm (1.2 in) long, tinged with purple. The female subjects bear shorter catkins. The fruit is a fluffy capsule that releases decorative long-haired seeds.

Dwarf Red Willow brings a beautiful luminous touch and a bit of wild grace to the garden. Compact, it easily fits into a country hedge and naturally finds its place near water points. Used in basketry, it perfectly withstands repeated pruning, a sought-after quality for creating large well-groomed borders or low hedges. It can also be planted on large, not too dry slopes, where it will retain the soil. It can also be grown in a large container on a terrace. Regularly prune it after flowering to encourage it to thicken and produce numerous red and flowering branches. For example, it can be planted alongside dogwoods (Cornus mas, Cornus officinalis, Cornus sanguinea), hazelnuts, Japanese quince, flowering almond, or brooms in a free hedge.

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This purple willow is a honey plant, also widely used in basketry. Its ability to stabilise unstable soils along riverbanks through its extensive and branched root system is used in riverbank restoration.