fantail willow plant
If you belong to the category of people with a passion for natural aesthetics, then you should love fantail willows. A striking ornamental plants, fan-tailed tree of the fancy dicotyledon genus of the family Salicaceae, is called fantail willow because of its twisted branched mass covered by sideways fan-shaped, pure white silvery catkins extending out of each branch tip, that is, fan-shaped. In local Korean syllabic script, they are called as Samsaphan or Puqsaphan, but in Latin, Salix sachalinensis ‘Sekka’. This is an all-encompassing expert guide that will enlighten and inform you on everything about fantail willow plant, its botanic characteristics, how to cultivate and take care, its application in landscape and ornamental gardening.
Understanding the Fantail Willow Plant
Deciduous shrub or tree in the family Salicaceae, Salix × ‘Matsudaira’ is a native of Japan and eastern Russia where it has been grown in gardens for many centuries. Its unusual stems – flat, contorted, attractively paired, corky on the exterior surfaces, and apparently fused together – resembling fans, have made the fantail willow a much sought-after garden plant throughout the world. Botanists use the term ‘fasciated’ to describe these stems.
Key Characteristics
Size and Habit of Growth: Fantails gauge up to 10-15 feet (3-4.5 metres) in height and up to 8-12 feet (2.4-3.6 metres) in spread and are said to be ‘rounded’ in habit. They accept a pruning that will keep them smaller and more rounded.
Leaves: Lance-shaped green leaves growing to 6 inches (15 cm) long with a glossy finish complete the look. In autumn, they go yellow for seasonal charm.
Catkins: Among the most impressive features of the fantail willow are its catkins, clusters of flowers that grow on the branches before the foliage does, and are silvery tufts of short cylindrical shapes. They turn yellow as they mature to attract bees, or other pollinators.
Stems: Differentiated by its twisted, flattened stems, the fantail willow is one plant that can be easily identified. Its stems are used in floral works and crafts.
Cultivation of Fantail Willow
Fantail willow should be planted — a fantastic plant for little work and a great reward at the end, especially under ideal situations. They seem to survive in just about any situation.
Ideal Growing Conditions
Soil Requirements: Moist, well-drained soil. Tolerant of most soil types including clay, loam, sandy and acidic. Grows best in soil rich in organic matter.
Sun or shade? These sun-loving plants will perform best in full sun to partial shade. Plant where they will get at least six hours of direct sun each day in order to fully express themselves and maximise catkin and flower production.
Watering: F Fantail willows high water requirement, that is, after planting, to be irrigated more frequently in the first year (especially in the first year), let the soil mulch is consistent with the flow, and not to cause waterlogging and root rot.
Temperature and Hardiness : Hardiness zone – USDA zone 4-8. The USDA zones are an index of plants’ cold-tolerance, and a plant that is hardy in zone 4 will most likely survive in any lower zone – though keep in mind that agave are hardy in zones 7-10, and many orchids are hardy in zone 10 only. Fantail willows prefer to grow in a range of cold to cool temperatures (8˚C – 27˚C), but won’t be hurt by winter temperatures that fall below the lowest range, nor will it be damaged by frost.
Planting Fantail Willows
Choosing the place: To make a fantail willow grow well, the first thing to do is to position its bulb in a place full of sunlight and appropriate soil texture so it can grow to its fulness. You must also choose a site where it can have room to fully develop.
Planting Tips: Plant in early spring or fall. Dig a hole at least 2x as wide as the root ball and only as deep as the root ball. Place plant in hole and fill with soil. Water well to settle the soil around the root ball.
Spacing: In rows of trees planted in intervals, place 10-15ft between the initial plantings of the fantail willows, to maximise airflow and avoid congestion.
Care and Maintenance of Fantail Willow
It’s a pretty low-maintenance tree, but the fantail willow will demand its owner get under its fingernails every now and again.
Pruning
Regular pruning is one of the most important care instruction of the fantail willow. Regular pruning will help the plant to have a nice shape, encourage new spirng growth and minimise disease.
When to Prune: Prune fantail willows when spring growth is about to emerge so the plant can direct energy into healthy new growth, either late winter or early spring.
What do you do? Right off the top: take off anything dead, broken or diseased. Then cut out anything overcrowded to allow for better air movement through the plant. Then shape: trim back the stems back to whatever size and whatever shape you want to get them. Don’t cut off more than half the plant at once or you will stress out the willow.
Fertilizing
Fantail willows benefit from regular fertilization, especially in poor soils.
Fertiliser: Use a balanced slow-release fertiliser that is appropriate for the plant type. For example, a 10-10-10 would be a balanced fertiliser that would be good to use with almost all flowering plants. Organic options for fertiliser include compost or well-rotted manure.
fertilise: Spread fertiliser early in the spring (before the new growth has arrived) about 2 feet from the trunk out to the drip line, making sure not to put it too close to the trunk (trees then water quite well to make sure the fertiliser gets absorbed.
Watering
Bracken willows, though, need consistent moisture; water deeply once a week when it’s dry outside.
Mulching: Tuck mulch into the tree and shrub drip-line (the area under the outermost branches, especially on the side of the rootball) to hold more water at the soil surface (the depth where root hairs are), reduce the frequency of watering, and keep the soil temperature stable; at the same time, mulch reduces weeds.
Pest and Disease Management
Nor is the Fantail willow a diva which will only thrive in select circumstances; while it is in fact a little more prone to some insects and diseases than many other examples of its genus, easy control of these tends to minimise the negative impact that they can have on a plant.
Other Pests: Isolate your fantail willow and look for aphids, spider mites or caterpillars often – if you find them, treat with insecticidal soap and/or neem oil.
Diseases: Willow blight: Caused by a common fungal pathogen, the leaves blacken, wither and then die back on the stems, often starting at the base of the plant. Many varieties of fantail willows are affected. ‘Good air circulation is essential,’ says the Dinnington Park nursery, ‘to ensure that moisture is readily lost from the foliage. Mid day watering is generally recommended so that the leaves are not wet through the night, and spraying or misting is generally harmful.’ Willow powdery mildew: White, powdery patches, or grey felt-like pads, appear on the leaves and stems in damp conditions, particularly in late summer. The plant could be beginning the process of shedding its old foliage, or it may be reacting to changes in shade or moisture levels, but a fungicide designed for the treatment of willows does help to control it.
Uses of Fantail Willow
Fantail willows are plants we can bring into the garden and many others.
Ornamental Use
The main and perhaps the only domestic use of fantail willow is as an ornamental plant. With its undulating exuberance, it can become the bead on the necklace of a garden or landscape scheme. As a feature plant, planted alone, in a group or in a mixed border, its contorted stems and displays of catkins create Dec ornament all year round, especially in winter gardens.
Floral Arrangements and Crafts
The ‘fantails’ (the curled arms) are for fresh or dried flower arrangements and décors. The branches can be cut while they are just buding out They bring a sculptural element to Ikebana, and in fact they are commonly used in Ikebana works, especially in sparse, dynamic compositions.