Blackskin Willow is a beautiful color excellent for basketry highlights. It's one of our favorite willow varieties. It grows slowly so it would be tough to use a your primary weavers, but the contrast against earth toned other varieties is beautiful. It has little side branching. Like all our willow, we coppice it to the ground every year and harvest the rods in the winter. Compared to salix purpureas, it is a slower, less aggressive grower, but it is a reliable plant that develops well over time.
Botanical Specs & Profile:
Blackskin Willow (Salix myrsinifolia 'Blackskin') is a compact, fast-growing deciduous shrub featuring deep glossy black-purple stems and dark green foliage. It reaches a mature height of 6 to 10 feet when unpruned, though annual coppicing maintains a smaller size and increases stem production. This variety thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers moist to wet soils, making it ideal for rain gardens and pond margins. The long, thin rods are used for fine basketry, weaving, living structures, and winter floral arrangements.
This product is a dormant cutting that will take root, leaf out, and grow if planted under the right conditions. Since plant propagation success rates can vary depending on climate, location, and timing there is no universal recipe for success. If you are new to plant propagation, follow the link on each product page for 'Videos on How to Propagate...'.
