Dappled willow

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; afternoon shade helps prevent leaf scorch in hot climates.

Water

Keep the root zone consistently moist, especially during establishment and hot weather. Poor drought tolerance.

Soil

Moist, fertile soil, including moisture-retentive clay; tolerates occasional waterlogging. Avoid dry, shallow soils.

Height

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m) unpruned; grafted standards vary with trunk height.

Spread

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m) unpruned.

Foliage

Narrow leaves emerge pink, becoming cream-and-green mottled, then greener as they mature. Colour is strongest on fresh growth; leaves fall in autumn.

Growth

Fast

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   4 ft (1.1 m)

3. After 2 years

   5 ft (1.7 m)

4. After 3 years

   7 ft (2.3 m)

5. After 5 years

   8 ft (2.4 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Growth rate

Fast

• Water deeply whenever the root zone begins to dry; check newly planted shrubs frequently during their first two growing seasons.
• Apply 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch, keeping it clear of stems and the trunk.
• Top-dress with compost in spring; use a balanced fertiliser only if growth is weak.
• Remove shoots arising below the graft on standard trees as soon as they appear.
• Plant away from drains, septic systems and underground pipes, particularly where leaks could attract roots.

Pruning. In late winter or early spring, shorten the previous year's shoots by one-half to two-thirds; established own-root shrubs can be cut harder for compact, colourful growth. On grafted standards, prune only the crown above the graft, and lightly trim faded shoots in early summer if another flush of colour is wanted.

Late winter

Prune before leaf growth begins, removing dead, damaged and crossing branches.

Spring

Refresh mulch and top-dress with compost.

Late spring

Check tender shoots for aphids and remove any rootstock suckers or wholly green reverted shoots.

Early summer

Lightly shorten faded growth if you want a fresh flush of pink-and-cream leaves.

Summer

Water deeply during dry spells and check for scorched leaves.

Autumn

Plant while the soil is moist, or take hardwood cuttings after leaf fall.

• Use a regularly pruned shrub as a pale focal point against dark evergreen foliage.
• Plant beside a pond or in a moisture-retentive border, allowing room for its broad crown.
• Use grafted standards to give height and repetition along a path or within a formal border.
• Combine with hostas, ferns and astilbes in a moist, lightly shaded planting.

Garden styles it suits: Japanese, Cottage garden, Formal, Bog garden, Pastel border and Winter interest.

Plant it with: Hosta, Astilbe, Siberian iris, Japanese forest grass, Lady fern and Red-stemmed dogwood.

Wildlife: Its small spring catkins can provide pollen or nectar for early insects, though hard annual pruning reduces flowering. Foliage can support insect larvae, and a mature crown offers cover for small birds.

• Leaf scorch and premature leaf drop: keep soil moist, mulch the roots and provide afternoon shade in hot locations.
• Aphids on young shoots: wash small colonies off with water; encourage ladybirds and other predators.
• Willow rust or leaf spots: collect fallen diseased leaves, avoid overhead watering and thin crowded growth to improve airflow.
• Loss of variegation or vigorous green shoots: remove wholly green reverted branches at their origin and remove all shoots below a graft.

Not generally regarded as a highly poisonous garden plant for people, dogs, cats or horses. Leaves and bark contain salicylates, so substantial ingestion may cause digestive upset or other adverse effects; cats are particularly sensitive to salicylates. Do not use it as a home remedy or encourage pets to chew the bark.

• Flamingo willow (Salix integra 'Flamingo')

  A closely related cultivar selected for strong pink new growth and red stems. Appearance overlaps considerably with 'Hakuro-nishiki', so a reliable nursery label is the best guide.

• Variegated red-twig dogwood (Cornus alba 'Elegantissima')

  Has much broader, opposite leaves with cream margins and conspicuous arching veins; dappled willow has narrow leaves with irregular mottling.

Salix is the Latin name for willow, integra refers to the leaves' unbroken margins, and the Japanese cultivar name 'Hakuro-nishiki' is commonly translated as 'white-dew brocade'.

Propagation. Take hardwood cuttings after leaf fall or before spring growth; willow usually roots readily in moist soil. Cuttings produce own-root shrubs, not clear-trunk standards, which are normally created by grafting.

Accepted botanical name

Salix integra

Native range

Inner Mongolia, Japan, Korea and Primorye.

Measured

Average height 247 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.