Salix species ( derived from another thread)

[Robert G]

Lori,

Your response is even more telling for me. If you can do so should I. Thank you.

[TheOnionMan]

Going through my photos, I finally found a photo of Salix hylematica in flower.  The photo gives sort of an optical illusion looking like it is sideways, by it is indeed right side up.  The trailing branches are cascading over a boulder.

[TheOnionMan]

Going through my photos, I finally found a photo of Salix hylematica in flower.  The photo gives sort of an optical illusion looking like it is sideways, by it is indeed right side up.  The trailing branches are cascading over a boulder.

oops, forgot to upload the photo...

[Robert G]

Mark,

That is a great photo!

[maggiepie]

Mark,

That is a great photo!

And a great plant 

[johnw]

Here's another dwarf Salix, Salix vestita growing at the Oxen Pond Botanic Garden in St John's, NL.

It's important to find truly dwarf ones as we saw some as high as a meter of more on Newfoundland's west coast.

johnw

[TheOnionMan]

Here's another dwarf Salix, Salix vestita growing at the Oxen Pond Botanic Garden in St John's, NL.

It's important to find truly dwarf ones as we saw some as high as a meter of more on Newfoundland's west coast.

johnw

That's a real beauty, small but with some structure to it. 

[maggiepie]

What are the root systems like on these dwarf/miniature salix?
Are they tiny on top with monster roots?

[Lesley Cox]

Yes Helen, they do have large and congested root systems, as do all willows. I remember in my youth and beginnings as a rock gardener, a local nurserywoman used to dig and use for potting, willow root from a local river bank. She carted the blocks home like peat blocks and put them through a shredding machine then used the chopped stuff instead of peat for all her ericaceous plants. Rhodos loved it and it didn't break down and disappear the way peat does.

One species I'd give my teeth for, is S. cascadensis which I assume comes from the Pacific NW of America. I've only ever seen a photo but the flat plant had very large pink catkins, for all the world like the bottlebrush, Callistemon.

[maggiepie]

Thanks Lesley, I have a septic field in my yard so I need to be careful.
Maybe I best move the Hakuro Nishi I have planted in the middle of it.
Good luck finding a S. cascadensis, I can't even find a pic of it.

[TheOnionMan]

Thanks Lesley, I have a septic field in my yard so I need to be careful.
Maybe I best move the Hakuro Nishi I have planted in the middle of it.
Good luck finding a S. cascadensis, I can't even find a pic of it.

Hi Helen,

Here two photo links, neither is very good, but better than nothing.  On the first one, give it some time, the photo does come in.
http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDSAL020N0.aspx
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/124605.html

[Lesley Cox]

I found a couple of pics by Googling but neither was like the one in my mind. I think the original I saw was in a talk many years ago. Could even have been at "Alpines '81" but I'm not sure now.  But the one in your links Mark, looks like a good plant.

[maggiepie]

Thanks for the links, Mark.
It really does look like Callistemon flowers, Lesley.
A real cutie.

[TheOnionMan]

I found a couple of pics by Googling but neither was like the one in my mind. I think the original I saw was in a talk many years ago. Could even have been at "Alpines '81" but I'm not sure now.  But the one in your links Mark, looks like a good plant.

I remember seeing some photos of Salix cordifolia, both male and female forms, both are wonderful but one with yellow flowers and one with amazing pink flowers.  I had actually downloaded them, but didn't create a text file with the url and credentials.  Now, whenever I download a web photo of a plant for my own personal interest, I also create a text file with the pertinent info and a url to the original photo, for future use.  I could be wrong, my craggy memory gone awry, but I thought these marvelous photos were from John Weagle.  We should ask him.  I don't feel that I can display them here without the originator's permission.

[cohan]

Yes Helen, they do have large and congested root systems, as do all willows. I remember in my youth and beginnings as a rock gardener, a local nurserywoman used to dig and use for potting, willow root from a local river bank. She carted the blocks home like peat blocks and put them through a shredding machine then used the chopped stuff instead of peat for all her ericaceous plants. Rhodos loved it and it didn't break down and disappear the way peat does.

now that is fascinating! there are large areas of willows here; of course often there would be some peaty soil around them, though other times its probably mostly decomposed grasses; these low areas in any case have a totally different soil than even heavily wooded spots often not far from them: black/brown and humusy compared to our typical grey clayey soils...

i wonder if unshredded the root bits would sprout new willows?