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Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa' |
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| Common name |
corkscrew willow |
| Family |
salicaceae |
| Life cycle |
tree (Z4-8) |
| Size |
20' |
| Light |
sun |
| Cultural notes |
prefers moist soil |
We love this tree for its year-round attractiveness - neon-green new growth in spring, lush twisty leaves that sway in the wind during the growing season, and casually contorted branch structures that show themselves best in winter. In its first season in our garden, a rabbit felled the sapling, cutting it at ground level and leaving most of it behind. I stuck the severed stem in the ground, and lo - both the stemless stub and the rootless stem grew, so we've had two trees ever since. They like moisture, so one is planted in the lowest part of our garden, where water collects after summer storms, and we routed the runoff from one of our downspouts to the other one.
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| | Bright green catkins in April |
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| | Not half-bad for climbing, either |
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| | Mid-November: a delicate carpet of slender yellow leaves |
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We left this plant behind in our Pennsylvania garden (and wish it well); we don't grow it in Houston. About my plant portraits
PlantLinks to other web pages about Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa'
Visitors to this page have left the following comments| Diane Slattery | Nov 21, 2008 | Wonderful pictures!!! |
| connie gordon | Jan 25, 2009 | beautiful tree. I am going to see if they will grow in Kansas. |
| marilyn brown | Nov 03, 2010 | I have just been given this salix and I am wondering if I can keep it smaller and bushier by putting it in an oak barrel?Most sites say that it is prone to problems and is not very long lived.Do you have any suggestions for it's upkeep.I live in Victoria,B.C.
thanx
Marilyn
We've had both of ours for almost as long as the garden itself (about 13 years now), and they are doing just fine. Tree life is relative - they won't live as long as an oak, but they'll still be there for a long time, compared to the ever-changing garden's cycles. I've only seen it grown as a true tree, don't know how well it would do in a container. If you do try, make sure you arrange for a very consistent supply of moisture. |
| Nancy | Nov 01, 2011 | I live in Ohio (zone 5b). I would like to plant this salix in an area betwen two flower gardens (about 2 feet from each) Does a fair amount of sun still reach the ground when they are in leaf? Also some say their roots are invasive. What to you think? I have always loved willows!
Thanks!
This tree gets LARGE! You'll do fine for a few years, but once it reaches its mature size you'll get rather less sunshine than your gardens likely receive right now. The individual leaves are small, but there are a lot of them!
As for invasive roots - I've not found that to be a problem, but it probably depends on soil type and availability of water. |
| Amy | Aug 27, 2014 | I'm considering planting a few of these for shade in my yard. How close can I plant them to my house? Are their roots as intrusive as the weeping willow?
These are large trees – I'd keep them well away from the house (ours is probably about 30 ft away, and is too close in retrospect). I've not had a particular problem with the roots, so can't compare to those of the weeping willow (which I haven't grown at all). |
| Sue | Nov 01, 2019 | My husband cut this tree in the middle of February in MN and the branches started dying off and falling. Did he kill my beautiful tree or do these trees not last long in Minnesota?
While they are not very long-lived trees, they should live for tens of years. Pruning the tree in February should have been fine, so I don't know what happened. I hope it recovers! |
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