Salix acutifolia Blue Streak - Willow

Salix acutifolia Blue Streak is a beautiful variety of Siberian violet willow, whose red wood bears large silvery catkins in spring and gradually acquires a decorative white-blue to purplish hue over time, particularly in winter. This large spreading shrub forms a beautiful swaying mass in spring and summer, woven with long, slender green leaves. Awarded in England for its ornamental qualities and ease of cultivation, this deciduous shrub with a handsome habit thrives in the sun, in any soil as long as it is moist.

Horticulturally originated and belonging to the Salicaceae family, the Blue Streak willow is a cultivar derived from Salix acutifolia, native to Russia and East Asia. It is a tall shrub that is very hardy and accustomed to harsh climates. It has a bushy and spreading habit, carried by long, almost horizontal flexible branches. Its growth is rapid, reaching a height of 4 m (13 ft 1 in) and almost as large in width when fully grown. The young branches are red in colour, then they take on a more purplish hue with age and are covered with white blooms that gives them a beautiful blue tint. Its deciduous foliage consists of long lanceolate leaves measuring 6 to 15 cm (2.4 to 5.9 in), dark green with a blue tint on the underside. It awakens quite early in spring, blooming from February/March, in the form of catkins measuring 4 to 6 cm (1.6 to 2.4 in) long. Silky and silvery in appearance, they turn yellow when the stamens emerge. Willows are dioecious: there are male and female plants, but this cultivar exclusively consists of male plants that will not bear fruit. Note that this willow tolerates pruning well, which allows it to be kept in modest dimensions.

Hardy, at least down to -15 °C (5 °F), Salix acutifolia Blue Streak is not very demanding: it will thrive in the sun in any soil as long as it remains moist while being well drained. In the garden, you can plant it as a hedge, as a standalone specimen, or within a bed alongside Siberian Pearls White Dogwood, Elijah Blue Blue Fescue, or the Kulsenmoor Switch Grass. It will also thrive near water features, reflecting its beautiful image in all seasons.