Salix viminalis (Common Osier Willow)
| Price £ each (ex. VAT) | ||||
| Height | Age | 25+ | 100+ | 500+ |
| 60-80cm | 0+1 | 0.63 | 0.38 | 0.35 |
| 80-100cm | 0+1 | 0.70 | 0.42 | 0.38 |
Delivery
Bareroot from November to April
Prices
The prices above are offered as a guide and may be subject to fluctuation dependant upon the time of season and supply. We recommend that contact is made with the office for larger orders, a quotation and to check availability Alternatively please contact us to enquire about opening a wholesale account.
Rootgrow
Boost growth & increase survival rates
The Common Osier, or Willow is a vigorous, fast-growing native shrub, often found in wet or damp situations in the countryside. The young stems are yellow in spring, and the yellow-green catkins attract a variety of insects. The Common Osier is best known as a source of stems for basket-making, but in recent years it has become familiar as the plant used to make living willow sculptures. Environmentally, it is useful for its ability to absorb heavy metals, and is planted to clean up contaminated sites.
Site and soil
Wet and boggy soils, chalk and coastal areas. Will do well on exposed and contaminated sites.
Height and spread
After 10 years: 5m x 5m
After 20 years: 5m x 5m
Leaf and bark
The leaves are glossy, linear and dark green up to 15cm long, silvery-hairy beneath. The bark is smooth and yellow-green on younger shoots.
Flower, seed and fruit
The flowers are greenish catkins, appearing in late winter/early spring before the leaves. The Common Osier is dioecious - male and female flowers are borne on different plants. The males have yellow anthers, and the green female flowers become more spiky before releasing their tiny seeds in June.
Uses
Screening, windbreak, damp woodlands, waterside planting, coppicing, contaminated sites. The Common Osier has the ability to absorb some heavy metals like cadmium, and is often planted to reclaim industrial sites. It is also planted to make small scale water treatment systems; waste water is passed through willow beds, which clean it for re-use. With a growth rate of about 1m per year, the Common Osier is now planted commercially for bio-fuel, although formerly its most familiar use was for basket-making and fencing. Salicylic acid, the active ingredient of aspirin, was originally extracted from the bark.
Wildlife
Important for reclaiming contaminated sites. The catkins provide early pollen and nectar for bees, and a range of butterflies and moths, including the Lackey Moth and the Herald Moth depend on the Common Osier.
Pruning
For coppicing, the stems are cut down to ground level in winter. For bio-fuels, the cycle is every 3-4 years, for basket-making, every 1-2 years.
