Basket Willows - 1-3 ft

Salix purpurea

These are traditional basket making varieties, producing long thin rods with little branching that can be soaked and dried for making willow baskets. They are also great for hedges or weaving into living structures. Cut them back to the ground every spring for the best shoots. An established stool (plant) can produce 6ft plus shoots in one season.

Oka- Salix purpurea "Oka": This is an old french variety which produces long thin rods that dry to a warm brown. Oka is an excellent all around variety for basket making.

Bleu- Salix purpurea "Bleu": Bleu is a productive French variety for basket making, with a dark green to purple color when fresh, drying to a dark gray with some purplish red. Bleu produces long, straight rods which are great for all parts of the basket. One of our absolute must have varieties for basketry.

Acutifolia- Salix acutifolia: Desirable for the dark red to purple black young shoots. May be used for living structures. Long slender and flexible shoots. May be less productive than other varieties, however it's unique color makes it sought after for basketry.

Packing Twine- Salix purpurea "Packing Twine": One of our favorite basketry varieties. Rods grow straight and slender, drying to a light brown. Excellent thin gauge material for ribbed and stake and strand style basketry. 

Flame- Salix x flame: This vibrant variety adds a bright pop of orange red color to your field, drying to an orange yellow when used for basketry. This willow grows branchy for its first few years, but generally grows straighter rods in subsequent years.

Belgian Red- Salix fragilis: Another colorful variety to have in your field. This softer willow is generally used for weavers, but is not as hardy for stakes given it's large pith.

Fine Osier- Salix x forbyana "Fine Osier": This willow is a hybrid willow, native to Western Europe. Excellent for ribs and hoops due to its straight but larger width rods.

Americana- Salix americana: A lovely native variety that dries redish. 

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Willows are extremely hardy and adaptable to wet soils. Shrub species make a great deer-resilient deciduous hedge or buffer. Willows are an important early-pollen source for native pollinators!