Salix purpurea Howki - Purple Willow

The Purple Osier or Salix purpurea 'Howki', also known as Purple Willow or Red Willow, is a variety with a narrow and columnar habit that can reach up to 7m in height and only 2-3m in width. it is vigorous and develops long, lanceolate, narrow, and silver-green leaves. They are very attractive in spring as they are tinged with orange. The flowering occurs early in spring, before the leaves appear, in the form of small but numerous intense pink basal flowers, bringing colour to the garden at a time when it lacks vibrancy. This fast-growing willow can be pruned at any time of the year and is perfect for quickly creating an elegant ensemble, in an informal or clipped hedge.

Salix purpurea belongs to the Salicaceae family. It is a species widely distributed in Europe, Central Asia, Japan, and North Africa. In its natural habitat, this pioneer species colonises the banks of rivers and ponds, on sandy or gravel-rich soil. While it appreciates a certain level of humidity, the purple willow does not tolerate constantly flooded soils that suffocate its roots. It can withstand moderate periods of drought. Its lifespan is about 20 years. The Red Willow has a dense, ball-shaped habit, composed of numerous thin, flexible, and heavily branched stems close to the ground. At maturity, this small, fast-growing willow will not exceed 5-6m in height, typically forming a large shrub 2.50m in height and 1.50m in width. The young branches are shiny mahogany red and become grey-green with age. The buds are also purple. The deciduous foliage consists of leaves arranged in an opposite, rather than alternate, fashion as in most other willows. They are thin and narrow, elliptical in shape, measuring 5 to 8cm in length. The upper side of the leaf is light green-silver, while the underside is bluish with prominent veins. The foliage turns yellow in autumn. The insignificant flowering takes place in March-April, before the leaves appear. Male specimens bear silky, 3 to 5cm long catkins, a silver-green colour punctuated by purple stamens. Female specimens bear shorter and inconspicuous catkins. The fruit is a fuzzy capsule that releases decorative seeds covered in long bristles.

Salix purpurea 'Howki' is a columnar variety, tall and narrow for its type, reaching a height of 4-6m (up to 7m) and a width of 2-3m at maturity.

As elegant in flower beds as in hedges, the Purple Willow 'Howki' is particularly attractive in spring during flowering and leaf emergence and brings a colourful touch and a touch of wild grace to the garden. It easily fits into a country hedge and naturally finds its place near water features. It is used in basketry and tolerates repeated pruning, a quality sought after for creating large, well-maintained borders or hedges, both in contemporary and natural gardens. It can also be planted on large, moderately dry slopes, where it will retain the soil. Regularly prune it after flowering to encourage dense growth and the production of numerous red and floriferous branches. For example, it can be associated with dogwoods (Cornus Baton rouge, Cornus Flaviramea, Cornus sanguinea), hazelnuts, Japanese quinces, flowering almonds, or brooms in a mixed hedge.

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This purple willow is a honey-producing plant, also widely used in basketry. Its ability to stabilise unstable soils along riverbanks through its extensive and branching root system is used for riverbank restoration.