Corkscrew WillowSalix matsudana 'Tortuosa'Height: 25' average mature height Zones: 4-8 Find my zone Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Watering: needs regular irrigation, about once per week during hot weather Maximum Water: tolerates constantly wet soil and bogs Habit: single stem or trunk Flowers In: April Foliage: deciduous Growth Rate: fast
Size Availability
Out of season.
unrooted cutting - $1.25 each deep plug - $7.50 each
Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall.
Additional batches of plugs and quarts are added throughout the year.
Many of our plants are propagated in limited quantities and can sell out quickly when posted, get on the notification list below so you don't miss out. Add your email to be notified as soon as we have them back in stock:
This does NOT subscribe your email to any mailing lists, our system will only send an inventory notification message.
Production notes: in production most years but is unavailable in some due to limited seed/division material or finicky propagation
The Corkscrew Willow is similar to the common weeping willow, but the weeping branches circle around themselves forming a corkscrew shape. Additionally, the leaves are wavy and curl upwards from the weeping branches, trying to get more light. Combined, this gives the tree an ordered chaotic effect both from a distance and up close that leads it to be one of the most interesting landscape trees available.
Surprisingly, our trees grow very straight stems and we very rarely stake them or prune them to be upright. In fact, in the past we had tried to trim them to form a bushy and weepy effect in a gallon container but ended up with a large number of new, perfectly straight, shoots arising from each cut stem. After the side branches are produced, the thin weeping branches curl around as the grow straight down to lengths of five feet or more on their own. This feature makes the Corkscrew Willow surprisingly low maintenance for such an amazing look.
Like many willows, this tree likes to have moisture available evenly throughout the growing season and isn't very drought tolerant. It is an excellent choice for watered lawns or landscapes, but is probably better left out of xeriscapes and dry hillsides. We have also found that deer and rabbits like to eat the leaves, so protect young plants for the first year or two until they can grow above their reach. After that point, the deer keep the branches well trimmed to a perfect height and keep an even bottom. For once, deer are actually helpful in maintaining a landscape!
 Classic bending of stems and trunks gives these trees lots of character!  New stems grow like a pig's tail, and even the leaves are also curled and twisted  Mature tree showing the general form.
By Dalgial (Own work) CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons
Packing Plants For ShippingWe pack our plants depending on the needs of each species and size, most plants ship best with the roots packed in moist sawdust or bark fines but some species don't like root disturbance and are shipped in a soil-less growing media. Excess soil is washed from the roots in preparation for shipping (18-24" White Pines)  Plants are bundled together to fit in boxes  Bundles of plants are secured in long boxes. Plant Sizes 3 gallon Dawn Redwood  Standard quart shrub  Standard 14-18" multi-stem tree size  Standard deep plug pine tree Bamboo Plants Are Shipped In Their ContainersBamboo roots are not flexible and so plants have to be shipped in their containers. These plants are heavier and are shipped separately from bare root plants. Because they are potted they can handle longer transit times so can ship via UPS Ground instead of USPS Air Mail. Potted plants can also be shipped year-round.We regularly top our 1 gallon bamboo plants at 24-30 inches tall throughout the growing season. This results in dense, bushy foliage while allowing for economical shipping. From this size most running species will grow to 5-6 feet tall in the first spring and clumping species will usually grow to 4-5 feet tall.  1 gallon bamboo plants strapped in and ready to be sealed. Unpacking Bare Root PlantsYou will be sent tracking details as soon as your plants are shipped. Unpack your plants as quickly as possible after they are delivered. We use two types of boxes, side-sealing and top-sealing. For boxes that are taped along the whole length you can cut the tape on either side and remove the plant bundles by cutting the tape holding the bundle to the bottom. For boxes that are sealed on the top and bottom, it is easiet to open the bottom of the box (the shipping label is at the top) and pull the bundle of plants out straight out. Check that the box is empty as there can be a second bundle of plants stuck towards the top. A bundle of trees. What if I am not able to plant right away?You can usually leave the plants in their shipping container unopened for 1-2 days if there were no shipping delays and you have received your plants from late November through February. Plants shipped when it is warmer can't stay in their packages for as long.For longer term storage of plants you can pot them up or plant them in rows close together temporarily and then pull them out later in the spring to be planted again. This keeps the roots moist while allowing for air flow to the tops. The roots should have good contact with the soil to ensure they have access to adequate moisture. |
Size Availability
Out of season.
unrooted cutting - $1.25 each deep plug - $7.50 each
Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall.
Additional batches of plugs and quarts are added throughout the year.
Many of our plants are propagated in limited quantities and can sell out quickly when posted, get on the notification list below so you don't miss out. Add your email to be notified as soon as we have them back in stock:
This does NOT subscribe your email to any mailing lists, our system will only send an inventory notification message.
Production notes: in production most years but is unavailable in some due to limited seed/division material or finicky propagation
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Red Panda Nursery