Willow Cuttings - Basketry & Weaving Varieties for Planting

Grow your own weaving material with these productive basketry willows! When cut back every winter, they send up long, straight, flexible rods. Ideal for baskets, living willow structures, crafts, and more! Plant these for a reliable supply of weaving wood. Rod color, length, and flexibility vary with soil, climate, harvest time, and drying method.

*Main Photo Left to Right: Wintergreen, Flame, Blackskin, Dappled

Click here to view our other willow varieties.

Varieties & Traits:

Americana (Salix petiolaris × eriocephala 'Americana') A strong, fast-growing variety with very few side branches. A cross of two species native to Eastern North American that is now a very popular basketry willow in Europe. Dries to a beautiful dark green with some brown.

Uses: Basketry, weaving, structures, hedges

Mature Height: 5–8 feet coppiced annually | 10 feet unpruned

Deer Resistant: No

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3+

Black Maul (Salix triandra 'Black Maul') A long-standing favorite in Europe for fine basket weaving. Flexible and easy to handle. Dries to a warm mid-brown.

Uses: Fine basketry, weaving, structures

Mature Height: 6-8 feet coppiced annually | 30 feet unpruned

Deer Resistant: No

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3+

Black Maul x Grisette (Salix triandra 'Black Maul x Grisette Noire') Beautiful dark-colored fast-growing hybrid combining the qualities of two distinquished French cultivars. Produces high quality rods with good strength and flexibility.

Uses: basketry, weaving, structures, headges

Mature Height: 4–7 feet coppiced annually | 15–20 feet unpruned

Deer Resistant: No

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3+

Blackskin (Salix myrsinifolia 'Blackskin') A superior willow with textured green foliage and shiny black stems that are beautiful mixed with yellow and red willows or dogwoods in dried arrangements. A gorgeous landscape plant in summer or winter that also produces long rods for basketry. Dries to a reddish black.

Uses: basketry, floral arrangments, landscape

Mature Height: 4-6 feet coppiced annually | 8–12 feet unpruned

Deer Resistant: No

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3+

Dappled (Salix integra 'Hakuro-Nishiki' / Dappled Willow) Also called “flamingo” willow (for good reason!), this willow produces a breathtaking display of variegated speckled green, white, and pink leaves that make this willow a no-brainer choice for many landscapers and nurseries. Can also be used for basketry, and dries to a deep burugndy brown.

Uses: Colorful landscape hedges, small projects, small basketry rods

Mature Height: 3–6 feet pruned annually | 10 feet unpruned

Deer Resistant: No

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3+

Flame (Salix fragilis f. Vitellina 'Flame') A beautiful bright-orange stunning winter landscape plant that makes a great addition to winter holiday bouquets or a substitute for red-twigged dogwood. Dries to a warm copper-orange that adds colorful accents to basketry and woven projects. Can tend to be branchy in some conditions especially the first few years.

Uses: Basketry accents, winter landscape interest, privacy screens, windbreaks

Mature Height: 5–6 feet coppiced annually | 8 feet unpruned

Deer Resistant: No

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3+

Hutchinson's Yellow Bark (Salix fragilis f. Vitellina 'Hutchinson's Yellow') Brilliant yellow stems that add gorgeous color to a landscape or to winter bouquets. Heavy, large growth at first, but more slender in future years.

Uses: Colored basketry contrast, structures, landscape color interest

Mature Height: 4–6 feet coppiced annually | 15–25 feet unpruned

Deer Resistant: No

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3+

Irette (Salix purpurea 'Irette') Extremely slender flexible stems with lighter color than other purpureas for great contrast in basketry and weaving. Also useful for streambank restoration due to its thick root mass and flexibility in high winds. Dries to a bright green or yellow-green.

Uses: basketry, weaving, structures, hedges

Mature Height: 6-8feet coppiced annually | 10–15 feet unpruned

Deer Resistant: Moderately. Purpurea willows have bitter bark that deer find less palatable, but they are not deer-proof.

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3+

Koriyanagi (Salix koriyanagi) A beautiful basket willow with gorgeous fall foliage and one of the latest to lose its leaves. Native to Korea, and often mislabled as gilgiana.

Uses: basketry, weaving, structures, landscape

Mature Height: 6-8 feet coppiced annually | 15 feet unpruned

Deer Resistant: Deer may browse young growth.

USDA Hardiness Zone: 4+

Leicestershire Dicks (Salix purpurea 'Leicestershire Dicks') Long, slender dark red rods that turn purple after a frost. The blue-ish leaves make this a beautiful landscape plant that it also a top choice for basketry.

Uses: Basketry, weaving, structures, landscape

Mature Height: 6-10 feet coppiced annually | 15 feet unpruned

Deer Resistant: Moderately. Purpurea willows have bitter bark that deer find less palatable, but they are not deer-proof.

USDA Hardiness Zone: 4+

Packing Twine (Salix purpurea 'Packing Twine') Long, thin stems make straight, fine rods for detailed weaving. Vigorous dense growth. One of the top choices for basketry willows. Dries to a light brown or olive brown.

Uses: Fine basketry and weaving, hedges, small structures

Mature Height: 6-8 feet coppiced annually | 10–15 feet unpruned

Deer Resistant: Moderately. Purpurea willows have bitter bark that deer find less palatable, but they are not deer-proof.

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3+

Purpurea 187 (Salix purpurea '187') Vigorous purpurea that produces long, thin straight rods that dry to a grey-brown with hints of purple red. Great for garden ornaments and structures, and suitable for fine basketry if spaced tightly.

Uses: Basketry, weaving, structures, hedges

Mature Height: 6-10 feet coppiced annually | 20 feet unpruned

Deer Resistant: Moderately. Purpurea willows have bitter bark that deer find less palatable, but they are not deer-proof.

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3+

Purpurea Bleu (Salix purpurea 'Bleu') One of the most attractive willows we grow! Beautiful purplish-red stems when growing. Slender, highly flexible weavers with good tension. Rods dry to a slate-blue or purple-grey.

Uses: Fine basketry, weaving, hedges, structures

Mature Height: 6-10 feet coppiced annually | 10–15 feet unpruned

Deer Resistant: Moderate. Purpurea willows have bitter bark that deer find less palatable, but they are not deer-proof.

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3+

Streamco (Salix purpurea 'Streamco') Long, slender, flexible rods with good tension that work great for basketry. Tends to bend towards the ground and root, forming a dense cover very effective for stabilizing banks and reducing soil erosion. Dries to a light green.

Uses: basketry, weaving, erosion control

Mature Height: 6-8 feet coppiced annually | 20-25 feet unpruned

Deer Resistant: Moderately. Purpurea willows have bitter bark that deer find less palatable, but they are not deer-proof.

USDA Hardiness Zone: 3+

Click here to view our other willow varieties.