Salix fragilis - Crack Willow

Salix fragilis, commonly known as the brittle willow or red willow, is a deciduous tree of beautiful stature that frequents the edges of streams, bogs, ditches, and ponds. Left to grow freely, it forms a rather picturesque, wide and creviced trunk, topped with a spread out, irregular and often gracefully leaning crown. The tree shines with dark and shiny foliage. A willow always brings a romantic atmosphere to the garden. This one is best in a large garden, to adorn the surroundings of vast stretches of water.                                                               

Native to the plains of Europe and present in parts of Asia, Salix fragilis is a fast-growing tree reaching between 10 and 20 m (33 and 66ft) in height and 8 to 10 m (26 to 33ft) in spread. It belongs to the family Salicaceae and the genus Salix, which includes no less than 300 species distributed in the cold regions of the northern hemisphere. Its habit is generally spread out, with the tree developing a single trunk, or even several trunks, topped with a wide crown supported by a few large structural branches. The bark is a dark greyish brown, cracked on old subjects. The long, flexible and brittle branches are downy when very young. They bear deciduous leaves, measuring 9 to 15 cm (4 to 6in) in length, narrow, not exceeding 4 cm (2in) in width, and lanceolate in shape. The upper surface of the lamina is shiny and deep green, the lower surface is pale green. Flowering occurs in April-May, at the same time as the young leaves appear. The male and female catkins measure between 4 and 6 cm (2in). The seeds are enclosed in a kind of cotton and fly away in spring to germinate immediately upon contact with damp soil. Its powerful root system, both taproot and extensively spreading, is perfectly adapted to deep and unstable soils. Like the white willow, the red willow can be pruned late. Its long, flexible branches are sometimes used in basketry.

The brittle willow can be planted as a specimen or on the edge of a body of water in large gardens. Among the plants that can accompany it near the water you will find horsetails, reed, loosestrife, daylilies, bulrushes and Typha angustifolia.

Tip: Collect the fallen leaves in autumn and burn them if the tree shows black spots (anthracnose) or yellow-orange spots (rust) during its growing season. Once all the leaves have fallen, treat with Bordeaux mixture.