Corkscrew Willow Tree for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by Mary Van Keuren | Gardener (30+ Years Experience) – last update on July 19, 2022

Planting instructions

Choose a site for your corkscrew willow that gets at least four hours of sun a day, in soil that drains well. Site your willow away from underground utilities such as septic pipes, since willow roots can be invasive. Unpot your sapling and tease out any encircling roots, which can girdle the tree and slowly kill it. Dig a hole that’s slightly shallower than the root ball and about three times as wide. Place the tree in the hole, spreading out the roots. Holding the tree upright and steady, fill in around it with topsoil. You should end up with the root flare (where the trunk meets the roots) slightly above the soil level. Water thoroughly. Apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch around the root zone to conserve moisture and hinder weed growth.

Watering and nutrients

When newly planted, water your corkscrew willow several times a week, so that the soil around the root zone never dries out. After the first year, once the roots are more established, you can taper back watering to once a week, giving your tree about an inch of water at a time unless you receive that amount in rain. Corkscrew willow trees are not heavy feeders, but you can encourage growth by giving yours a balanced fertilizer such as a 10-10-10 formula in early spring.

Pollination

Many Salix cultivars, such as this one, are hybrids, and do not breed true to form. They have small, inconspicuous flowers, and are more usually propagated by taking cuttings from a mature tree and growing them in potting soil.

Pruning

New growth on your corkscrew willow is more likely to show the curling and twisting that is indicative of this cultivar, so it benefits from a late-winter pruning. It can, in fact, be pollarded, which is an ancient practice of cutting back all old growth about 8 feet above the ground back to the central trunk annually and allowing new growth to sprout vigorously from the cut ends. If that seems too extreme, you can leave it unpruned or prune lightly to control shape and size.

Pests and diseases

Pests that prey on willows include aphids, various caterpillars, gall mites, and willow scale insects. A healthy tree should be able to handle minor infestations with little problem. Consider releasing beneficial insects in the vicinity of your tree, such as ladybugs, which eat aphids. Diseases of the corkscrew willow include anthracnose, rust, and crown gall. Prune out any galls you see on the branches, and clean up any leaf litter around the trunk to help avoid fungal diseases.

Achieving maximum results

WIllows are not difficult trees to grow, and they need little care once they are established. The best way to ensure success for your corkscrew willow is to site it carefully, away from both underground and overhead utility wires, pipes, or other infrastructure. You’ll also want to leave some space between your willow and driveways, walkways, and roads, so that there’s little chance of the tree’s extensive root system causing damage. Water your tree regularly when it is young, while the roots are still shallow. Once it has established itself, you can tell if it needs feeding by checking the leaves — if they are pale and showing little growth, fertilize your tree in spring.

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