Reproduction of basket willow
Reproduction of basket willow
The basket willow or common osier (Salix viminalis L.) is a plant of the Salicaceae family whose origin is located between central Europe and Asia.
Suitable breeding habitat –
Salix viminalis is a plant whose exact place of origin is uncertain due to its intense and widespread cultivation; it is known for certain that it is however native to an area ranging from central Europe to Asia, although it may also be native to the extreme west of south-eastern England. It is also a plant that has become naturalized and grown wild in many areas of Italy and cultivated in central-northern Italy, but is also widespread throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Its most suitable habitat is along streams or other humid places.
It is usually found on the banks of rivers, streams and lakes, also on the deep moist alluvial soils of floodplains and in marshes, however avoiding very acidic soils.
Propagation –
Salix viminalis is a plant that grows in the form of an erect, highly branched deciduous shrub or small tree that can grow 5 to 10 meters in height.
This plant is highly cold tolerant; it tolerates very intense and prolonged frosts without problems.
It grows in most soils, including moist, poorly drained or intermittently waterlogged soils but prefers heavy, moist soil in a sunny position.
It is a fast growing tree, it is very wind resistant.
It is a dioecious plant so if you want to produce seeds you have to plant plants of different sexes near it.
Propagation occurs by seed; this is very small and light and has a very short viability, perhaps only a few days in some species. For this reason it must be sown on the surface as soon as it is ripe.
The seed should preferably be sown in a seedbed in a moderately sunny position, keeping the soil moist. Germination is usually quite rapid. After germination and once the seedlings have formed, they must be placed in individual pots. For their transplant in the open field it is advisable to do it when the plants are still young.
In fact, they generally take root best when planted while quite small.
Propagation can also take place by means of mature wood cuttings of the current year’s growth; those taken from more mature wood can root at almost any time of the year, although late autumn is considered the best as it produces a better balance of root and stem growth the following spring.
The cuttings can be rooted in the nursery or even directly outdoors, in the latter case it is advisable to mulch around the cutting to protect the plant from the cold and the growth of weeds.
Even semi-mature wood cuttings can produce new seedlings; this operation must be carried out from the beginning to the middle of summer in a shaded area.
Ecology –
Salix viminalis is a plant that has naturalized and gone wild in many areas, and it also tends to form dense and extensive thickets naturally, especially in optimal soil and humidity conditions.
In some areas, historically, the plant was harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine, and source of materials. It is one of the most important willows for basket making and has long been cultivated for its stems. It is also grown to stabilize embankments, as a biomass crop and as an ornamental plant.
It is also a plant known to be very suitable for the absorption of heavy metals, in particular cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, but also petroleum hydrocarbons, organic solvents, MTBE, TCE and by-products, selenium, silver, uranium and zinc, and potassium ferrocyanide; for this reason it is one of the most suitable plants for the phytoremediation of contaminated sites.
It is one of the least variable willows, but can hybridize with many other species.
Among the most common pathogens of this plant we mention the Melampsora spp. Female plants are more severely infected than male plants.
Finally, from the point of view of diffusion, it should be remembered that Salix viminalis has a wide range and, although there is little information on the population, it can be assumed that it is quite widespread. The plant is classified as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2017).