Willow Cuttings

Sold out for 2023.

Check back for cutting sales Winter 2024.

Please send an email to info@gwengraovac.com with your order (name of variety and quantity) and mailing address (or specify local pick-up in Nelson area). I will confirm the availability & shipping cost and then an e-transfer is required to secure order.

Cuttings are sold in bundles of 10 for $20. Minimum order is 40 cuttings (local pick-up exceptions apply). Must be minimum 10 per variety.

Bulk discount available for large orders (200+ cuttings), please inquire.

 

PLEASE NOTE: Canadian sales only, I do not ship to the U.S. at this time.

Shipping Rates*:

Small Box $20 – Up to 100 cuttings
Medium Box $25 – Up to 250 cuttings
Large Box $35 – Up to 500 cuttings
*This is an estimate, some varieties need a larger box

Willow Cuttings

Willow cuttings are dormant hardwood sections of 11” length that are ready to plant as soon as your ground is workable. They are meant to be planted anywhere a garden would do well; they appreciate irrigation and weed control. Spacing is dependant on fertility and desired outcome; I plant rows 2’ apart and 8” between cuttings, using landscape fabric to suppress weed competition. If you have sandy or loamy soil, insert the cuttings about 8” deep, leaving 2-3” above ground. You may need a guide-spike to prepare the holes if soil is compacted or rocky.

Basketry willows are a favoured browse for deer and fencing is recommended. Purpureas tend to be the most deer resistant.

For basketry purposes, they are harvested annually after the leaves fall (I cut in early November). All of these varieties will grow into small-large trees if left un-coppiced. Willow roots can be problematic to septic fields; please consider your location. In general, willows do not make viable seed and are non-spreading.

In my experience, these willows are naturally free of any insect/pest damage. There is a type of gall that affects Purpureas in some areas; I have not encountered it but it is common on the west coast.

I have a small amount of a few other varieties & ornamentals not listed below – please reach out if you’re looking for something in particular.

S. Triandra ‘Black Maul’

5-8’ – dark chocolate brown (dry: light brown)

Choice for weaving, very agreeable, on the softer side but suitable for all aspects of basketry. Grows well in my patch but some have cited it gets branchy; deer love to browse, fencing required.
Bulk orders available.

S. Triandra ‘Whissender’

5-8’, pale green (dry: light brown)

Very similar in all aspects to ‘Black Maul’; can be used interchangeably, slightly lighter colour.
Bulk orders available.

S. Triandra ’Noir de Villaines’

5-9’ dark brown (dry: light brown)

Very stout, large rods; not recommended as a regular weaving willow as it grows so big.

*Sold Out for 2023

S. Purpurea X Daphnoides ‘Calliantha’

5-9’, dark green to purple tips (dry: grey)

Beautiful, fine taper on long slender rods. Very similar to Polish Purple and often used interchangeably, but is not affected by the gall.

S. Purpurea ‘Polish Purple’

5-9’, bright green to purple tips (dry: slate grey)

Classic basketry willow; beautiful fine taper, high yields. Highly recommended.

Purpurea ‘Irette’

6-9’, light green (dry: brown/grey)

One of the larger/tallest Purpureas, beautiful slender, straight rods.

Purpurea ‘Lambertiana’

6-8’, green to red tops (dry: grey)

A larger Purpurea, some branching, nice weavers.

Purpurea ‘Dicky Meadows’

5-8’, light green (dry: brown/grey)

Classic weaving willow, fine taper, high yields.

S. Acutifolia ‘Blue Streak’

4-9’, dark red to purple with a white bloom (dry: dark purple)

Very soft, lovely to weave, earliest to bud out in the spring, fine bamboo-type foliage. Turns black when re-soaked, smells divine. Yields less compared to other basketry willows. High ornamental value.

S. Fragilis ‘Hutchinson’s Yellow’

4-9’, bright yelllow (dry: orangey-brown)

Stunning colour, quite soft as a weaver. Tends to grow side-shoots but has good growth after the first few years. Ornamental and gorgeous winter colour.

S. Britzensis ‘Coral Embers’

5-9’, flaming orange (best used fresh if used for weaving)

Mostly ornamental, stunningly bright orange/red, too branchy for much use weaving but small side-shoots are soft and easy to work with.

Limited quantity

S. Daphnoides ‘Continental Purple’

6-10’, dark purple

Unique bright red/purple colour, long straight whips. Not a high-producer in the field but lovely to weave with and gorgeous ornamental value.

 

*Sold Out for 2023

S. Dasyclados

6-10’, green (dry: light brown)

Fastest-growing variety I’ve come across; yields massive rods for 1-year growth.Great for bank stabilization/erosion control, creating shade, moisture retention, garden projects, willow furniture, etc. The thinner whips are very flexible and useful in basketry.
*Sold Out for 2023