Salix, Dappled Willow, Flamingo Willow, Nishiki Willow 'Hakuro Nishiki'

I bought a Dappled Willow last year after having to really search for it. Everywhere I checked they were sold out. My daughter has a beau...Read Moretiful fully grown Dappled Willow and I just fell in love with it's 'fine/delicate' looking pinkish-white & variegated green foliage. It is healthy and growing beautifully. My daughter says she wishes she hadn't planted it so close to her deck because of the size. But it is beautiful. We live a little NW of Philadelphia PA and get cold winters.

My Dappled Willow is STILL not planted in the ground, mainly because I could not decide where to plant it. I did plant it in a deck planter with good soil, it is in a very sunny spot and doing VERY well. I was afraid our past winter (very snowy and extra brutal) was going to kill it because of it being in the planter, but it did not. So this little beauty must be very hardy. Mine is 'Sauce Hakura Mishiki' and the tag says it's a shrub avg size 4x6H & 4x6W. It has BEAUTIFUL red branches & the colorful foliage. The tag says part sun (morning sun only) but where I have it, it gets plenty of morning sun and sun ALL DAY until late, then it gets the shade. I think I'll plant it at one corner of my deck, near the location it is now - it must be a good spot (sun-wise).!

I live in zone 3 in Lacombe in central Alberta (between Edmonton and Calgary) and would desperately love to plant a top grafted Hakuro-Ni...Read Moreshiki dappled willow in my little yard. I've found lovely one but I'm concerned that it will not survive a winter here, as this past one was horribly cold and snowy. My yard tends to be damp as there isn't much slope so I don't think water will be an issue; just temperature. What are my chances?

Love, Love, Love this tree. I purchase the Willow on a standard (grafted) form. An absolute show stopper specimen, and I receive many a ...Read Morecompliment from passersby.

I am in zone 5, Wisconsin and my soil is rich black and pretty compact, but somewhat clayish about 18 inches deep.

The trick with this tree, is PLANT IT IN THE SPRING and water, water, water. I planted my first one in the fall, and it did not survive the winter. I couldn't live without this beauty, so replaced it in the spring.

I have her planted on a southeast corner of my home in an area that I wouldn't exactly consider "moist". I do supplement water during droughts, but otherwise I'd say this can handle drier soils once it's established (as the literature indicates).

In response to the comments that these can become gangly, overgrown and too large, the key to controlling the size is regular pruning. If you do not prune last year's outgrowth each spring, the tree naturally becomes larger, the outgrowth more sparse and less compact.

I've seen photos of beautiful specimens in country gardens which aren't pruned, and they look wonderful as such in that environment, but for a more manicured look in a smaller landscape like mine (my landscaping leans to the formal side and I'm on 1/8 acre), it would be wise to prune the top back SEVERELY every spring, shape it into a ball or a dome and it will rebound in no time. In fact, I cut mine back several times throughout the growing season to keep it more tidy - and I'm cutting last years growth back so far that it looks really pathetic for about a week or so. I prune it into about a 3-4 foot ball or dome shape, and in a week or two you wouldn't know the difference. The outgrowth is lush and compact. Regular pruning IS truly the key to control the size. After the initial pruning back in the spring, I trim the rest of the outgrowth back once or twice more throughout the growing season just to maintain its shape. The interior leaves tend to be on the greenish side, the new growth tends to be white (for me). So don't be afraid to cut her back at any time except late fall. She responds well to pruning.

For all the newbies out there, hedge trimmers are for shrubs, so a word of advice, DO NOT USE A HEDGE TRIMMER - instead, prune each branch back and form the shape you desire.

The first year upon planting, I did get the pinkish outgrowth, but I'm on my third or fourth year (?) and all new outgrowth is a nice white which is a great contrast against all my evergreen boxwood, yews and hostas in my landscaping.

I have no problem maintaining the tree form - every now and again there is a branch or two outgrowth at the bottom - I lop that off immediately. If you do not, nature will attempt to revert back to its original shrub form. This goes for anything grafted on a standard.

I do treat my tree with a Bayer systemic disease control each spring as they can be susceptible to various diseases.

Water well to establish, prune each spring and treat with systemic each year and watch this beauty grow.

p.s. in terms of the comment about this taking over septic systems, etc. I did my research with the tree experts and they disagree that this cultivar is an aggressive form that would negatively impact septic systems or otherwise. In fact, I'll be planting another one within 15 feet of our holding tank on our summer property.

My interest is woody plant taxonomy. I am not a gardener. I was looking at my sister's nishiki willow in NH and noticed that leaves and...Read More new growth twig are arranged oppositely more often, or at least as often, as alternately. Certainly more often than any other willow variety that I know of. I have never seen Salix integra, the species, so I'm not sure if it is a characteristic of the species or only of the cultivar. It was just a curious discovery that I've never seen in the literature but probably is somewhere.

Actually, this wasn't entirely the plant's fault: After planting, I neglected it a bit, the bindweed grew around it, and the snails finis...Read Morehed it off.

So that was definitely a negative experience for me, not to mention the poor little willow.

We planted two of these last year - they seemed to be doing just fine all through the summer and fall. One didn't make it through our MN...Read More winter but the other came back and looked beautiful. We replaced the one that died - gave the new one lots of TLC and right now, it looks terrible. The leaves on the outer edges are turning brown and drying up. It can't be lack of water - we've watered AND had adequate rains.

The other shrubs, planted around them are doing very well, so I know it's not from lack of care. I'll be replacing both of them this year with something else. I think they're beautiful, when they're alive, but don't think they like it here.

This is a variation of your typical willow. It's a nice looking shrub, but it also has the disadvantages of most willows. It loves wate...Read Morer and will grow into septic systems and drains and clog them completely if planted within 75 or 100 feet. It also grows extremely fast and large. It can be pruned very hard with no ill effects. It will also grow in damp areas in the shade, but the color won't be as attractive. Trimmings of almost any size can be rooted very easily by simply placing them in a bucket of water. Keep it away from septic systems or you'll be replacing your leach field - and that isn't cheap!!

I've had 2 of these beauties. One I killed by leaving a Xmas tree light string wrapped around the trunk (mine is grafted) too long and it...Read More strangled the tree -- one morning I noticed a few brown leaves at the ends of the branches and by the end of the day 75% of the leaves were brown. Took the wire off, never revived. The second one just up and died last week -- no wires --it just started turning brown and almost overnight all the leaves are brown. It's about 7 years old, in central NC -- we've had plenty of rain (my lawn is lovely green; usually dried-out-brown by this time of summer) so I don't know what happened. I've seen no bugs, caterpillars, or any other signs of pests. But my tree looks very dead. Dang. I hate when that happens. Any ideas?

Great tree for a damp area of the garden. This is it's first year in my garden.

I do have a question tho...it has long......Read Morewillow-like growth/branches...and looks kind of unsightly. Does it grow in a weeping form or should I prune it lightly (tips) or prune back to where the best leaves are.

Thanks a lot

I would like to hear your experiecnes with keeping the Nishiki Willow in tree form. How successful have you been in doing this?

I've had my hakuro nishiki about 10 years, bought as a standard and keep it pruned in a globe-shape to about 12 ft. height, about 8 ft. d...Read Moreiameter. I've got the perfect spot for it next to my rose garden with about a dozen different colored coral bells planted beneath the canopy - and they love it, too. Also have 3 smaller hakuro niskiki bushes planted under the canopy at the corners. With this right next to our screened in patio, I never get tired of the view.

Very hardy. Mine is about 5x5, and have 2 side by side. Full sun, all day. Very little water. My motto here in Colorado, you either make ...Read Moreit with what water you get, or something else will. 4th yr in ground, and has put on abt 1/2 ft growth, probably because of unusually wet spring and summer. Wide open to harsh winter weather, including strong winds. Again, very hardy!

The plant IS definitely beautiful, however, as a few other people have mentioned, it gets VERY large, compared to the 4-5 ft high the ori...Read Moreginal tag mentioned. Mine is now about 15 feet tall with a spread of at least 10 feet! I try to grow it as a standard or tree form, but it sprouts constantly from the trunk. Unfortunately, I believed the info and planted it in too small of a space. I have tried to start whips of it in other areas- they would start, but die before the next season, so I am afraid to move it. I would recommend this plant, if you have the room!

I grow this shrub in my zone #5 garden, in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. I have it in standard form and mine is gigantic. It's 12 to 13 foot h...Read Moreigh and probably 15 feet wide. The color is fantastic and it's definitely a focal point, see photos.

I live in Northern Utah and this plant is growing here. I bought it at a local nursery three years ago and kept it in the pot for a year...Read More before I planted it in the ground. I almost killed the tree because it was next to my house, and the sun reflecting off the house and me not keeping the soil wet just about dried it to just a stump. I moved it to the front of my yard away from the house and kept it watered and it survived. I planted it a year later and it is the most beautiful tree in my yard. It seems like a hardy tree to go through all that.
The trunk is about 5 feet tall put the limbs reach 8 to 9 feet high and about 8 feet wide until I prune it. It gets 9 to 10 hours of sunlight a day so the leaves do have a pink glow all summer. I was told by the nursery that the more sun it gets the more the pink will show up.
This tree is a conversation piece with people that are passing by. It is close to the sidewalk and they can reach out and touch it if they like. It looks wonderful in front of my wifes rose bushes and a hedge of 2 foot high boxwoods.

I would disagree with the 6 ft, mine was at 7 ft before I pruned it back. I have two and boy do they love water. They are most eye cat...Read Moreching shrubs in my backyard with the marble green, white and pink. Mine are growing in full sun and clay soil. I usually have to prune more after it has been raining. If you have room for one in your garden, get it, you won't be sorry.

Took well to a very wet somewhat sunny spot in our woodland edged yard and help control erosion. Grows fast and big especially because t...Read Morehe deer here have left it alone.

After moving to South Carolina from Colorado, my wife and I have searched high and low for a local garden center that sells this wonderfu...Read Morel plant. Thank goodness for the Internet because it looks like I've found a place nearby to purchase some. And I do mean "some."

I'm no botanist but maybe somebody who knows better can confirm my hunch:

One of the posters said that she really liked this plant but wished she could get more of the pink color. When we lived in Colorado, our Nishikis were loaded with salmon colored leaves. Spectacular! The area we lived in had a high iron content in the soil. Could this have contributed to the coloring?

A very nice specimen shrub. But my experience doesn't support the projected 4 to 6 ft. height. Mine reached about nine feet in height and...Read More eight feet wide. I was constantly pruning it (almost weekly). It was overgrowing everything around it and after three years I transplanted it to a wide-open area. It probably grew so large due to good soil and an abundance of water from a nearby downspout.

i have had good experiences with these beloved plants. I currently have about a dozen. My neighbor is curious if they will bother water...Read More lines like willow trees, which love to tap into water sources. I am not sure if they do or not. I have not heard of any problems with that. The only down side, is that the past two summers have not been easy on the ones planted in full sun and they do not seem to be doing well. I live in north east tennesee.

I love this plant. It grows VERY fast but can be kept as a well-behaved shrub. It needs to be pruned back to produce those gorgeous white...Read More/pink stems and leaves. It appears nearly totally white/pink! Mine are in partial shade-sun. Being willows, they love water but mine to well even in dry summer months with minimal watering. They look great next to the dark, almost black leaves of a black lace elderberry.

I have only had this for about a year. Absolutely beautiful this spring. Shades of green, white and pink. It's about 3 ft. tall now, a...Read Morend I really like it that size, so I will prune to maintain this size. I also paired mine with russian sage.

Nice shrub. Give it room to grow or you will need to prune it. It does take to pruning well. Color is more vaiations of white and green a...Read Morend less pink.

I live in Westminster Maryland and planted this plant in the Spring. The shrub I bought was very variegated - with wonderful shades of w...Read Morehite, green and pink. I planted this shrub in my front planting beds where it gets Sunlight for about 8 hours a day. Mostly morning to early afternoon sun since it faces the East.

The first year all new growth was only green. I never could figure out why. I even cut it back, but all the new growth was again green - no white at all.

The second year - new growth started as green, but then it quickly changed to white, green and pink. It really turned into a beautiful shrub this, the second year. So much so that I want more of these. It has so much interest looking at it from a distance or close by. I only wish it had more pink in it. I know there must be a way....

Ken

This is an attractive deciduous shrub, the leaves of which are subtle shades of green, white and pink with weeping branches that flow del...Read Moreicately in the wind. Cut branch tips look lovely in a bouquet of roses and generally have a couple of side shoots which can be used to prop up weak-stemmed roses.

It goes very well with ornamental grasses,sedums,and russian sage.I keep it smaller with heavy pruning.One of my favourite shrubs!

Lovely well mannered Salix.
When young the branches are rather spikey,
but as it matures they develop a semi-weeping habit...Read More.

The new foliage is absolutely white developing a green variegation w/ age.
The new shoots are pink maturing to a deep reddish color.

We have two and wish we had room for more.

If you want a show stopping shrub look no further.