Salix viminalis, the basket willow, common osier or osier, is a species of willow native to Europe, Western Asia, and the Himalayas. It is commonly found by streams and other wet places.
Basket willow Care
Salix viminalis



Salix viminalis is a multistemmed shrub growing to between 3 and 6 m (9.8 and 19.7 ft) (rarely to 10 m (33 ft)) tall. It has long, erect, straight branches with greenish-grey bark. The leaves long and slender, 10–25 cm long but only 0.5–2 cm broad; they are dark green above, with a silky grey-haired underside. The flowers are catkins, produced in early spring before the leaves; they are dioecious, with male and female catkins on separate plants. The male catkins are yellow and oval-shaped; the female catkins are longer and more cylindrical; they mature in early summer when the fruit capsules split open to release the numerous minute seeds. Along with other related willows, the flexible twigs (called withies) are commonly used in basketry, giving rise to its alternative common name of "basket willow".
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How to Care for the Plant
Water
Provide plenty of water for these moisture-loving trees. These trees prefer moist or wet soils.
Fertilizer
Fertilizer isn’t generally needed, but basket willow trees in poor soil benefit from a light feeding of a balanced fertilizer in spring.
Sunlight
The trees thrive in full sun but will tolerate partial shade.
Soil
It succeeds in most soils, including wet, ill-drained or intermittently flooded soils, but prefers a damp, heavy soil.
Temperature
The tree is considered hardy in the areas with the lowest winter temperatures of −34.4°C (−30°F).
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