With its twisted two formations, the corkscrew willow is particularly popular as a decorative garden and park plant or as a material dispenser in floristry. In addition, it is fairly easy to care for and also an interesting candidate for bonsai fans.

The corkscrew willow is a special beauty for the garden

Table of Contents

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  1. origin
  2. growth
  3. Which location is suitable?
  4. use
  5. Pour corkscrew willow
  6. Fertilize corkscrew pasture properly
  7. Properly cut corkscrew willow
  8. planting
  9. How do I plant correctly?
  10. Propagating corkscrew willow
  11. offshoot
  12. In the bucket
  13. bonsai
  14. Diseases
  15. pests
  16. Is corkscrew willow poisonous?
  17. sorts

    18. origin

    The corkscrew willow, botanically Salix matsudana, is a native species within the willow genus. It was bred from the weeping willow (Salix babylonica), which in turn comes from East Asia.

    growth

    The corkscrew willow grows about a meter a year if its location meets its preferred conditions. Overall, at 8 to 12 meters, it reaches a slightly lower height than the weeping willow and forms a shrubby to tree-like shape. The corkscrew willow is only about 10 to 15 years old.

    Responsible for this are, among other things, the eponymous twisted and strongly twisted twigs on the long, towering branches. They form an extraordinary, characteristic sight and an overall silhouette that is at times almost grotesque.

    The growth characteristics of the corkscrew willow at a glance:

    • Fast growth, up to 1 m in height per year
    • Total height about 8 to 12 m
    • Age between 10 and 15 years
    • Characteristically twisted, winding branches

    Which location is suitable?

    The Salix matsudana likes it sunny to semi-shady. In a place that is too dark, their growth is significantly reduced, and growth damage may also occur. In terms of soil conditions, the corkscrew pasture is fairly undemanding. It owes this to its extensive, effective root system. It thrives in almost all soils, both acidic and alkaline, both sandy and loamy. Just enough moisture should be guaranteed. What is also good for the corkscrew willow is a good loosening of the soil, for example with horn shavings (€32.93), which you mix into the excavated soil when planting. If the soil is particularly poor, you can also add some compost.

    A corkscrew willow that is cultivated in tubs should also be sunny. The substrate can be plain potting soil, possibly mixed with some sand and volcanic rock.

    As a shrub/tree in outdoor cultivation:

    • sunny to semi-shady light conditions
    • Soil conditions relatively irrelevant, just moist enough, preferably well loosened

    As a container plant:

    • sunny location
    • commercial substrate, loosened up with sand or volcanic rock

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    use

    Due to its rapid growth, the Salix matsudana is a popular candidate for tree plantings that need to grow quickly - for example in newly created gardens or parks, especially where a natural border needs to be created quickly or a gap needs to be closed.

    In addition, with its typically twisted, twisted branch formation, it has a high decorative value and is a popular material for florists. In bouquets and flower arrangements, their branches can be used to create attractive structural accents. Individual corkscrew willow branches are also very “pure” in the vase.

    The corkscrew willow is also interesting for fans of bonsai culture: its rapid growth and its flexible, structurally rich branches offer a good basis for interesting formation training.

    The benefits of corkscrew willow

    • For quick tree planting and gap filling
    • As a structural material in floristry or decoration for the home
    • For bonsai culture in the bucket

    Pour corkscrew willow

    If the corkscrew willow is cultivated as a standard tree outdoors, it usually does not need to be supplied with additional water when fully grown. At best, you can occasionally water them with rainwater during long, hot dry periods in summer.

    Of course, you first have to water a newly planted young tree well and take care of it a little more closely during dry phases.

    Of course, regular water supply is even more necessary for a corkscrew willow in the tub culture. In this form, it has a higher water requirement and of course cannot store as much water in the pot substrate. A corkscrew willow in a bucket should be watered regularly and relatively extensively so that the root ball has dried out before the next watering, but not completely. The lime content of the water is relatively irrelevant for the corkscrew pasture.

    Fertilize corkscrew pasture properly

    As an outdoor shrub/tree, the corkscrew willow does not actually need to be fertilized. With a little compost and horn shavings (32.93€) in the soil when planting the hole, you can of course do something good for it.

    The situation is different with the bucket culture. Here the space for the very far-reaching roots is very limited, so you should help the corkscrew willow with some additional nutrients. It is best to regularly give it some green plant liquid fertilizer at intervals of two weeks. However, you should refrain from cheap, aggressive mineral blue grain fertilizers.

    Properly cut corkscrew willow

    Pruning is an essential issue with the corkscrew willow - this is probably where it demands your care the most. Due to its rapid growth, it needs to be pruned and thinned out every year to stay healthy and fresh. It's also much easier to keep in shape aesthetically. In smaller gardens, regular pruning may be necessary simply for reasons of space.

    It is best to cut back in early spring, when the tree is still before the first massive growth spurt and its branches are still bare and clear. It is best to start by removing old, dead branches so that the energy can be put fully into the budding of the healthy branches over the spring and summer. You can then make the shape cut, which, depending on your needs, serves more to limit space or for visual aesthetics.

    At an older age, it is advisable to radically cut back the corkscrew willow. This promotes a more vital new shoot and a refreshment of the branch condition.

    The cutting rules at a glance:

    • Cut and thin out corkscrew willow every year
    • Time: early spring
    • First thin out dead branches, then aesthetic shape cutting
    • Cut back old specimens radically

    A tip: It is a good thing that the corkscrew willow should be pruned back in early spring: because the nicely twisted branches are ideal as fresh, decorative material for Easter bouquets! Hanging ornaments such as blow-out eggs are also ideal for hanging on the twists of the branch.
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    planting

    The best time to plant a corkscrew willow is autumn before the first frost - this gives it the opportunity to develop its roots well for the time being. When planting, you should first dig a generous hole. The root ball of the Salix matsudana spreads a lot and needs a lot of room to develop. It is best to mix in some horn shavings with the excavation, which serve to loosen up and for long-term fertilization. You can also add compost, but this is only necessary if the soil is particularly lean.

    Firmly press down the tree disc around the young tree and water well. It is best to give it a little support against the wind with a support pole and tie it to it with jute.

    To remember:

    • Planting time: early autumn
    • Prepare large excavation, loosened up with horn shavings or lava chippings, possibly compost swell
    • Step firmly and secure with a support pole

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    How do I plant correctly?

    You should avoid transplanting the corkscrew willow as much as possible. On the one hand, this is debilitating for every plant. On the other hand, the Salix matsudana is so undemanding in terms of location that, at least in this respect, a change of location will usually not bring much if the tree should show any defects. Another argument against this is that the corkscrew willow does not get very old - in such a short life it should therefore be spared a transplant even more urgently.

    If it takes up too much space, you can cut it back radically. She tolerates this without any problems even in old age.

    If you insist on transplanting, you should above all dig up the corkscrew willow very generously, since its root system is essential for it and extends very far. When excavating again, proceed just as generously and loosen the substrate well.
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    Propagating corkscrew willow

    Propagating a corkscrew willow is not difficult. The best way to do this is to simply use some of the waste that accumulates during the annual pruning anyway. From the cut branches, cut off a shoot about 15 to 20 cm long with a few buds and defoliate it completely.

    Keep this wooden cutting over the winter and put it in a pot with a substrate made of soil and peat the following spring. Place this in a bright, sunny window seat and keep it evenly moist. You can also use the tried and tested foil method, covering the cutting with foil and thereby providing it with an evenly warm humid microclimate.
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    offshoot

    Cuttings are the most common method of propagating corkscrew willow. Theoretically, of course, sowing is also possible, but given the simplicity and high success rate of wood cuttings, you should refrain from doing so.
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    In the bucket

    Because of its pretty branching and its easy to manage growth, the corkscrew willow is also ideal for pot culture. There are a few things to note here. First of all, make sure that the substrate is sufficiently spacious, loose and always moist. Make a loose drainage out of lava chippings or expanded clay and ideally add organic long-term fertilizers such as horn shavings and some compost to the soil. During the growth phase you should also give some green plant liquid fertilizer every 14 days.

    The location should be bright and sunny. In winter, the per se hardy corkscrew willow does not need to be brought into the house even in the bucket. However, protect the root ball a little from very severe frost by wrapping the pot with burlap and/or covering the soil with fir branches.
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    bonsai

    Thanks to its fast, vital growth and its flexibility, the corkscrew willow can also be trained well as a bonsai. The best way to do this is to start by cultivating a wooden cuttings as described above. When it has reached the desired growth height, cut back the upper end shoots and thus encourage the mini tree to sprout more laterally and to develop a broad, shapely crown. You can then sharpen the contours of these as you wish and enjoy the dense, meandering branches.
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    Diseases

    Unfortunately, diseases are an issue for corkscrew pastures. Although they are undemanding in terms of site conditions, they are quite susceptible to fungal diseases, especially to

    • Marssonina mushrooms and
    • willow scab

    Marssonina mushrooms

    You can recognize an infestation by discoloring and drying up of the leaves. In an advanced stage, the twig tips can also turn dark and form growths. In this case, remove all diseased plant parts quickly and as thoroughly as possible and dispose of them in the residual waste. In stubborn cases, you can also help with a chemical fungicide.

    willow scab

    The corkscrew willow is also quite susceptible to willow scab. The symptoms of this fungal disease are very similar to those of the Marssonina fungus and the countermeasures are basically the same.

    As a preventive measure against fungal infestation, you can provide your corkscrew pasture with potassium and phosphorus, which strengthen the immune system.
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    pests

    The corkscrew pasture is also plagued by pests. These include, above all

    • the willow leaf beetle and
    • the willow borer.

    willow leaf beetle

    The glossy, small, round willow leaf beetle can almost bare the corkscrew willow with its immense appetite. You should definitely resort to an insecticide, especially if the tree is still young.

    willow borer

    With the willow borer, a species of moth, only the larvae are dangerous. After hatching under the bark, they eat their way through the entire bark and eventually give off a vinegary smell. However, the damage is usually massive. Fighting is difficult - the adult moths can be collected, the larvae feeding under the bark cannot. Affected shoots should simply be cut out completely. In the worst case, the corkscrew pasture can no longer be saved and must be felled.
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    Is corkscrew willow poisonous?

    Willows are generally a non-hazardous plant genus from a toxicological point of view. So it is also with the corkscrew willow. It poses no danger to either humans or animals. If small children and/or animal roommates live in your household, you don't need to worry, either with a planned outdoor planting or with a pot culture.
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    tips

    You don't need to leave the large amount of clippings you cut back every year unused: the branches of the corkscrew willow contain valuable auxins, which, as a natural growth hormone, also encourage other plants to root. Simply pour boiling water over the finely chopped shoots and let the infusion steep for 24 hours. You can then use the strained brew for any rooting projects.

    sorts

    The best-known corkscrew willow species is the Salix matsudana tortuosa. In addition, however, other forms of culture with special properties are also cultivated, such as the

    • Salix Caradoc
    • Salix matsudana Pendula or the
    • Salix erythroflexuosa

    Salix Caradoc

    This variety is called in German gold corkscrew pasture and has its special charm with its golden autumn color. As a result, it has another decorative value apart from the typically twisted branch structure. The branches are also twisted in a particularly zigzag manner. The golden corkscrew willow has a shrubby habit and grows to a height of about 6 m. Like the Salix matsudana Tortuosa, it needs a sunny spot and moist soil.

    Salix matsudana Pendula

    In contrast to the Salix matsudana Tortuosa, this type of corkscrew willow has hanging branches and is therefore somewhat reminiscent of a weeping willow. Otherwise it is similar to the Tortuosa in terms of habit and location requirements.

    Salix erythroflexuosa

    Its twigs are twisted particularly intensively and have an attractive reddish colour. The long, lanceolate leaves are usually wavy. The shrub forms a silhouette that widens towards the top and grows to a height of around 3 to 5 metres.

Category:

Trees