Types and varieties of willow for planting at their summer cottage
Willow is a very beautiful plant that can be used to decorate a summer cottage. In landscape design, this tree is used for arranging hedges, as well as for dividing the site into zones.
In the mind of amateur gardeners, willow is a huge tree growing near water bodies. However, there are a large number of willow subspecies:
- tall;
- undersized;
- dwarf;
- ground cover.
Each subspecies has more than 80 varieties of willow. They differ in the color of the leaves, as well as in the size of the plants. In order to choose a willow variety for decorating a summer cottage, you need to decide for what purpose you will plant a tree. The plant can be used, for example, as a basis for green gazebos.
Tall willow
Tall willows are trees with a height of 3 to 5 m. The color of the leaves varies from light green to silver. The varieties of tall willow differ in the shape of the leaves. For example, the crown of the Siberian Silver variety consists of pale green leaves. The length of willow twigs is from 2 to 3.5 m.
Another tall willow variety is Hakuro-neshiki. Gardeners simply call it "Japanese willow". This tree was developed in Japan at the end of the 19th century to decorate gardens and create landscape compositions.
During flowering, the willow resembles Japanese sakura. Flowering occurs in summer and lasts from mid-July to late August. This variety has one significant drawback - low frost resistance.
Tall varieties of willow need to allocate a significant area of the site.
Such trees are planted not only for decorative purposes, but also in order to get rid of stagnant water. Tall willows are planted in places where the greatest amount of moisture accumulates.
Low-growing and dwarf willow varieties
Low-growing willow varieties are used in the preparation of landscape compositions. These varieties are shrubs with several trunks that are difficult to mistake for willow. A prominent representative of this subspecies is the "Swiss willow".
The height of this variety reaches 40 cm. After flowering, willow catkins turn silvery. "Swiss willow" is used in Japan to grow treesbonsai.
Ground cover willows
Ground cover willows are used in landscape design. These varieties are planted to create a green carpet in flower beds. The two most popular varieties are Mint-leaved Willow and Rosemary Willow. They reach a height of only 10 cm, but in breadth they grow very quickly.