Salix alba ‘Chermesina’ (coral bark willow)
The vibrant coral to orange-yellow stems of Salix alba ‘Chermesina’ offer a big dose of therapeutic late-winter color in the Hudson Valley. At Loomis Creek, we depend on ‘Chermesina’ and other willows for visual delight in our slowly reawakening March gardens.
Around the nursery we pollard 3-4 stems of Salix alba ‘Chermesina’ to a height of roughly 5 feet. All of the previous season’s growth is pruned to a stub in late March or early April. Sometimes we delay the pruning to give early-bird nursery customers a chance to see this stunning willow when we reopen for the season. Pollarding encourages a close rounded head of brightly colored branches to form. Vigorous, upright stems (rods) grow 4-10’ in a season; they are very flexible and quickly regain posture after heavy wet winter snows.
During active spring growth, twig color rapidly fades and stems sprout green leaves with silvery undersides. Plants fade into the background until leaf drop in October when stems color anew. Do the math – that’s 4-5 months of nonstop color in the off-season. Hard to beat!
P.S. Salix alba ‘Chermesina’ is often confused with the cultivar ‘Britzensis’. Michael Dirr in his Manual of Woody Landscape Plants suggests that these 2 cultivars are indistinguishable to most eyes. I tend to agree.
Culture: Full sun to part shade; grows rapidly in moist soils.
Deer: Pollarding elevates branches beyond their reach.
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