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Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’

Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Malpighiales
Family
Salicaceae
Genus
Salix
Species
Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’
Synonyms
twisted willow

Habitat / Home / Areal

Distributed throughout the northern hemisphere from tropical to polar regions. ‘Tortuosa’ originated in China and is rarely found in our region.

Botanical description

Habitus: trees up to 20 m tall, possibly shrubs, with shoots of different colours (green, red, yellow) and drooping shoots.

Leaf: Leaves alternate, sometimes opposite, petiolate and sessile, narrow, greyish below.

Flower: Male flowers with 2-12 stamens, female pedunculate and sessile. The inflorescence of male and female flowers has 1-2 glands each, which attract pollinating bees. Willows flower before leafing out and very early, even in winter if it is warm enough. They are dioecious plants. 

Fruit: The fruits (heads) burst longitudinally at maturity (May, June), and many tiny seeds fly out, which are dispersed by the wind.

Growth conditions / Cultivation / Care

They have fragile wood and they tend to break.

Gallery

Use / Function and landscape

  • Solitary plantings
  • floriculture
  • cemeteries

Special use

  • Green urban areas
  • gardens
  • containers, terraces

Reproduction

Green (non-woody) cuttings

Diseases and pests

Erwinia salicis