This is the Valentine's Day willow. Not sure why mother nature made the catkins on this willow pink, but we're not complaining. This is really an interesting conversation piece to have in the garden. Willow trees with special characteristics like color, curls, or catkins need to be pruned to maximize display. These special characteristics will only show on first year wood so coppicing or pollarding your trees is an excellent way to maximize the display. Our small trees are grown from stock on our farm. They are established during the previous year. They are well rooted, established, trees grown over the last nine months in one gallon containers. They are ready to be potted up or planted in the ground.
Overview of Mount Aso Willow from the Internet:
The Mount Aso Willow (Salix gracilistyla 'Mt. Aso') is a deciduous shrub prized for its showy, rosy-pink catkins that emerge in late winter to early spring before the foliage. These fuzzy, one-to-two-inch plumes provide a welcome display of color and are excellent for cutting. This fast-growing, multi-stemmed shrub typically reaches a height and spread of six to ten feet. Its leaves are a bluish-green with silvery undersides. The Mount Aso Willow thrives in full sun and prefers consistently moist soils, making it well-suited for planting near ponds or in rain gardens. It is adaptable to various soil types.
