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Salix purpurea 'Bleu'

Violet Willow

Plant Type:

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS

Salix purpurea 'Bleu' (aka 'Purple Dicks' - hey, don't blame the messenger...) - Rich, intensely rutilant red new stems are a striking feature of this selection of Violet Willow. Leaves emerge with a red flush, expand and settle back to green. Newest red wood matures to a darker ruddy red to purple. 'Bleu' grows very straight stems, 6 to 10 feet long. Early spring small catkins appear on close inspection to be little black and red corn cobs covererd in fuzz. These occur in late winter to early spring prior to leaf emergence. Coppicing will produce a fantastic display of new red stems cloaked in red and green leaves. Very beautiful. This fine French selection will be most appropriate for basket making and living arches and other formal structures. For those who may not know bleu is French for blue; this moniker refers to the dark blue-green adult foliage. Established, potted willow from cutting.


Please scroll down to the Genus Overview for more information.


Height:

12-18 ft

Spread:

12-18 ft

Zone:

(3?)4 to 9
What is my hardiness zone?

Characteristics and Attributes for Salix purpurea 'Bleu'

Season of Interest (Flowering)

  • Early Spring

Season of Interest (Foliage)

  • Spring / Summer / into Autumn

Interesting Bark

  • Colored

Nature Attraction

  • Deer Resistant

Light

  • Full Sun
  • Mostly Sunny

Attributes

  • Natural Garden
  • Screen
  • Basketry
  • Shrub Border
  • Hedge
  • Cutting Garden
  • Hedgerow
  • Filler

Growth Rate in the Garden

  • Rapid

Soil

  • Draining
  • Fertile
  • Moist

Origins

  • Garden Origin

Propagated By

  • Cutting Grown

Genus Overview: Salix

Common Name: Willow

Salix. These are the willows, a large genus of woody plants. Some willows are small shrubs, others grow into huge trees and there are many bushy species which fall in between. All prefer sun planted in fertile moisture retaining soils; some are tolerant of quite wet feet. Many have quite attractive lanceolate leaves with silvery undersides that flash in summer breezes… I have often thought of these as the “poor man’s bamboo”. Some have contorted and beautifully colored bark which shines in the winter landscape. Many sport beautiful winter/spring catkins. Nearly all willows have utilitarian applications in fencing, rods, basket making. All are very prune-able; in fact, any of the larger shrubs depending upon how you desire to employ them will respond well to pruning and coppicing. When coppiced those with beautifully colored winter stems display many more of them. And as with ornamental shrub dogwoods younger stems exhibit the best, most intense winter tones. All ornamental characteristics will be presented according to species/cultivar. All of the following offerings are established pot grown shrubs from a cutting. We may prune back all larger growing selections prior to shipping so that you will not incur the extra handling charge.