Salix sachalinensis Golden Sunshine - Sachalin Willow

The 'Golden Sunshine' Willow, also known as Salix sachalinensis, is a deciduous bush that is both hardy and ornamental, resembling a vegetal jewel thanks to its golden foliage that gives it a particularly bright and precious appearance.

However, this golden willow remains rare and even confidential in our European gardens as it comes from a Japanese horticultural selection dating back only to 2007 (Izumi Takuya). This variety deserves to be known as it is a reliable and healthy bush whose rapid and vigorous growth allows it to quickly reach its adult size (between 2.5 and 4 metres (8ft 2in - 13ft) in height).

Moreover, it is a wonderful accent plant thanks to its rural silhouette with a bushy, flexible, and delicate habit, just like its spring flowering in the form of ament and especially its golden lanceolate leaves resembling wheat.

We have imagined a bohemian chic setting in two-tone (white-gold), very refined, intertwining species that love having their feet in the water and their heads in the sun. Combine as a backdrop a 'Golden Hornet' crabapple, then a Virginia sweetspire 'Henry's Garnet' and 'Little Henry's', and in the foreground a few Ligularia plants.

Remember that the 'Golden Sunshine' willow is easy to grow and requires very little maintenance due to its disease resistance. It can withstand the most extreme temperature variations, from intense cold to scorching heat, as long as it is planted in the sun, in regularly amended rich soil, preferably moist or even very humid (near a water source, for example), and pruned back in late winter (February-March).