Hakuro Nishiki Dappled Willow

Salix integra ‘Hakuro Nishiki’ Overview Uses: Mixed borders, informal hedges, foundation plantings, and large containers. Benefits: Grown for its foliage: new leaves emerge pink and white, then mature to green splashed with cream. Coral-red stems add winter color. Fast growing and easy to shape, and a spring trim brings back the brightest new growth. Likes moist soil. USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–8 Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade Life Cycle: Deciduous Shrub Growth Habit: Rounded — full and fine-textured. Foliage Color: Pink, White, and Green variegated Mature Height: 4–8 feet Mature Width: 4–8 feet Growth Rate: Fast Summary A shrub that looks like it is in bloom every time it puts out new leaves. Hakuro Nishiki is grown entirely for its foliage, and the foliage earns it. Each flush of new growth comes in splashed with pink and white, so from a distance the tips of the branches look almost flowered. As the leaves mature they settle into soft green mottled with cream, giving the whole plant a light, airy look that brightens darker shrubs and evergreens around it. It grows quickly into a rounded, fine-textured shrub about four to eight feet tall and wide, with slender, willowy stems that move in the slightest breeze. That speed makes it useful for filling space fast, whether that is a bare corner of a new yard, the back of a mixed border, or an informal hedge along a fence. After the leaves drop in fall, the reddish stems carry some color through winter. Then, with a hard trim in late winter, the cycle starts over: the plant pushes out a fresh crop of its brightest pink and white growth each spring. Care Hakuro Nishiki Dappled Willow Care Plant in full sun to partial shade. Morning sun with some afternoon shade gives the best color in warm climates, where hot afternoon sun can brown the edges of the pale leaves. In cooler regions it handles full sun well. Like most willows it prefers moist soil and tolerates ground that stays damp. It grows in average garden soil too, but it does not like to dry out, so avoid hot, dry spots. Water deeply once or twice a week through the first growing season, and during dry spells after that. A two-to-three-inch layer of mulch helps keep the root zone evenly moist. Feed in early spring with a slow release fertilizer if growth seems weak; in reasonable soil it usually needs little. Pruning is what keeps this plant at its best. In late winter or very early spring, cut it back by a third to a half, or even harder on older plants. That controls its size and forces the vivid pink and white new growth it is known for. A second, lighter trim in early summer brings on another flush of colorful leaves. Growing in Containers It grows well in a large patio container, where regular trimming keeps it compact. Use a pot with open drainage holes and a quality potting mix. Because willows like steady moisture and containers dry out quickly, check the soil often in warm weather and water whenever the top inch is dry. Feed lightly each spring, since frequent watering washes nutrients from the mix. Roots in containers experience greater cold exposure than roots in the ground. Plants hardy in the ground may require winter protection when grown in containers in colder zones. Size What Size is the Hakuro Nishiki Dappled Willow for Sale Online? Our Hakuro Nishiki Dappled Willow ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. Plants ship dormant or near dormant in the off-season, so they may arrive as bare stems with few or no leaves. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us. How Large Does Hakuro Nishiki Dappled Willow Grow? Left unpruned, expect about 4 to 8 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide, in a rounded, fine-textured shape. With an annual late-winter cutback, most gardeners keep it in the 4-to-5-foot range. Space plants about 4 to 5 feet apart for an informal hedge. Additional Information What are some common names for this plant? Dappled willow Japanese dappled willow Tricolor willow Variegated willow Why are the leaves less pink in summer? The pink and white color shows on new growth. As leaves age, and especially as summer heat sets in, they shift toward green with cream mottling. That is normal. Trimming the plant back by about a third in early summer brings on a fresh flush of pink-tipped growth. Will it get too big? Not if you prune it. It is a fast grower and will reach six to eight feet if left alone, but it responds very well to hard cutting. An annual cutback in late winter keeps it to whatever size suits the spot, and it regrows quickly every time. Can it be used as a hedge or screen? Yes, as a soft, informal one. Planted 4 to 5 feet apart, it forms a bright, fast-growing hedge through the growing season, though it drops its leaves in winter. Explore more choices in our Privacy Trees & Shrubs and Shrubs & Bushes.