Salix purpurea Pendula - Purple Willow

The Weeping Purple Willow or Salix purpurea 'Pendula' is a variety of willow with very thin reddish-brown branches and alternate lanceolate leaves that are bluish-green on top and silver-grey underneath. It is often sold grafted on a stem to form a small pendulous bush with arching branches. When not grafted, it behaves as a creeping ground cover. In early spring, it is adorned with fairly discreet pendulous catkins that are silver-green touched with purple. This variety has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Salix purpurea, also known as Purple Willow or Red Willow, belongs to the willow family. It is a species widely distributed in Europe, Central Asia, Japan, and North Africa. In its natural habitat, this pioneer species colonises the banks of rivers and ponds, on sandy or gravel-rich soil. While it appreciates some moisture, the purple willow does not tolerate constantly flooded soils that suffocate its roots. It can withstand periods of moderate drought. Its lifespan is around 20 years. The Red Willow has a dense, ball-shaped habit composed of numerous thin, flexible, and closely branched stems close to the ground. At maturity, this fast-growing small willow will not exceed 5 to 6 m in height, usually forming a large bush 2.50 m tall and 1.50 m wide. The young branches are shiny mahogany red and become grey-green with age. The buds are also purple. The deciduous foliage consists of leaves arranged in an opposite manner, not alternate like most other willows. They are thin and narrow, elliptical in shape, measuring 5 to 8 cm in length. The leaf is light green-silver on the upper side, while the underside is bluer and marked with prominent veins. The foliage turns yellow in autumn. The rather inconspicuous flowering takes place in March-April, before the leaves appear. Male plants bear silky catkins 3 to 5 cm long, silver-green with purple stamens. Female plants bear shorter, very discreet catkins. The fruit is a fluffy capsule that releases decorative seeds covered in long bristles.

Salix purpurea 'Pendula' is a variety that, when not grafted, forms a creeping ground cover that spreads to about 1.20 m in width with a maximum height of 60 cm. When grafted on a stem, it reaches a height of 1.60 m to 2.10 m and forms a wide pendulous crown of slender, arched, purple shoots with narrow leaves, glaucous underneath, and elongated catkins, measuring up to 2.5 cm, opening at the same time as the leaves.

As a border plant in its ground cover form, in a well-maintained flower bed, or as a solitary specimen in a pot on the terrace (with regular watering), the 'Pendula' Purple Willow adds a beautiful touch of colour and a wild grace to the garden if grafted on a stem. It naturally finds its place near water features. It tolerates repeated pruning very well. Regular pruning after flowering promotes bushiness and the production of many red and floriferous branches. It can be placed in the centre of a low plant bed with ophiopogons or Japanese forest grass, or as a solitary plant surrounded by early-flowering bulbs (snowdrops, crocuses, fritillaries, hyacinths).

Properties:

This purple willow is a honey-producing plant and is widely used in basketry. Its ability to stabilise soils along riverbanks through its extensive and branching root system is utilised in bank restoration projects.