PlantFiles: Nishiki Willow, Dappled Willow
Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki'

After moving to South Carolina from Colorado, my wife and I have searched high and low for a local garden center that sells this wonderful plant. Thank goodness for the Internet because it looks like I've found a place nearby to purchase some. And I do mean "some."

I'm no botanist but maybe somebody who knows better can confirm my hunch:

One of the posters said that she really liked this plant but wished she could get more of the pink color. When we lived in Colorado, our Nishikis were loaded with salmon colored leaves. Spectacular! The area we lived in had a high iron content in the soil. Could this have contributed to the coloring?

A very nice specimen shrub. But my experience doesn't support the projected 4 to 6 ft. height. Mine reached about nine feet in height and eight feet wide. I was constantly pruning it (almost weekly). It was overgrowing everything around it and after three years I transplanted it to a wide-open area. It probably grew so large due to good soil and an abundance of water from a nearby downspout.

i have had good experiences with these beloved plants. I currently have about a dozen. My neighbor is curious if they will bother water lines like willow trees, which love to tap into water sources. I am not sure if they do or not. I have not heard of any problems with that. The only down side, is that the past two summers have not been easy on the ones planted in full sun and they do not seem to be doing well. I live in north east tennesee.

I love this plant. It grows VERY fast but can be kept as a well-behaved shrub. It needs to be pruned back to produce those gorgeous white/pink stems and leaves. It appears nearly totally white/pink! Mine are in partial shade-sun. Being willows, they love water but mine to well even in dry summer months with minimal watering. They look great next to the dark, almost black leaves of a black lace elderberry.

I have only had this for about a year. Absolutely beautiful this spring. Shades of green, white and pink. It's about 3 ft. tall now, and I really like it that size, so I will prune to maintain this size. I also paired mine with russian sage.

Nice shrub. Give it room to grow or you will need to prune it. It does take to pruning well. Color is more vaiations of white and green and less pink.

I live in Westminster Maryland and planted this plant in the Spring. The shrub I bought was very variegated - with wonderful shades of white, green and pink. I planted this shrub in my front planting beds where it gets Sunlight for about 8 hours a day. Mostly morning to early afternoon sun since it faces the East.

The first year all new growth was only green. I never could figure out why. I even cut it back, but all the new growth was again green - no white at all.

The second year - new growth started as green, but then it quickly changed to white, green and pink. It really turned into a beautiful shrub this, the second year. So much so that I want more of these. It has so much interest looking at it from a distance or close by. I only wish it had more pink in it. I know there must be a way....

Ken

This is an attractive deciduous shrub, the leaves of which are subtle shades of green, white and pink with weeping branches that flow delicately in the wind. Cut branch tips look lovely in a bouquet of roses and generally have a couple of side shoots which can be used to prop up weak-stemmed roses.

It goes very well with ornamental grasses,sedums,and russian sage.I keep it smaller with heavy pruning.One of my favourite shrubs!

Lovely well mannered Salix.
When young the branches are rather spikey,
but as it matures they develop a semi-weeping habit.

The new foliage is absolutely white developing a green variegation w/ age.
The new shoots are pink maturing to a deep reddish color.

We have two and wish we had room for more.

If you want a show stopping shrub look no further.