The harlequin willow attracts everyone's attention with its colorful foliage. The East Asian willow flowers only rarely, but the real attraction is the colorful leaf shoots in spring.
The harlequin willow (Salix integra) not only brings joy to every gardener because it is easy to care for. Also thanks to its white-pink foliage, which changes over the course of the year, it is a real eye-catcher in every garden. Here you can find out what a suitable location looks like and what you should consider when caring for it.
Harlequin willow: size, flowering and properties
The harlequin willow (Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki'), or Japanese ornamental willow, is also called variegated willow or flamingo tree because of its particularly beautiful, white-pink variegated foliage. It belongs to the willow family (Salicaceae).
Originally from East Asia, it is distributed throughout Japan, Korea and northern China. The harlequin willow is particularly popular as a shrub or standard. The ornamental willow can reach a height of up to 3 meters and an average width of 1.5 meters. Between March and April the harlequin willow has flowering time. The inconspicuous yellow catkins appear before the leaves and provide plenty of food for insects early in the year. The sprouting of the new leaves is often confused with the actual blossom. The oblong leaves arranged opposite on the red young shoots are initially white and pink patterned. That's why they look like colorful flowers in front of the green-white discolored shoots. This effect is particularly beautiful when the harlequin willow is in the sun. The frost-hardy, deciduous plant develops shallow roots, which is why it can also be kept well in a bucket.
Tip: When cultivating as a standard tree, it is grafted onto the trunk of another willow species so that it reaches an optimal trunk height. The trunk of the harlequin willow is already fully grown when you buy it and is available in different sizes.
Planting harlequin willow: location, time and procedure
To the fancyTo be able to admire the play of colors of the leaves, you should find a place in the sun for the harlequin willow. A semi-shady place is also suitable, but it should not be completely shady. Like all willows, it prefers loose, humus-rich, moist and cool soil and can also be planted in pots because of its shallow roots. The vessel should be large and glazed so that the soil cannot dry out so quickly. A loose and high-quality potting soil such as our Plantura organic universal soil is suitable as a substrate. It can be used in the pot or mixed into sandy garden soil. The pasture benefits from the compost it contains and the soil in the bed also promotes he althy soil life.
The best time to plant the harlequin willow is in autumn or spring. This way the roots are not directly exposed to the summer drought. After planting, the harlequin willow should be watered abundantly. If you want to plant the harlequin willow as a high trunk, it is best to tie the trunk permanently so that it doesn't crack in strong winds.
Tip: Those for whom a pink willow in the garden is not enough can also cultivate the willow as a hedge. A planting distance of 50 - 60 cm should be maintained so that the roots have enough space to grow. The fast-growing willow hedge grows up to 1.5 m high and with regular pruning you can enjoy the colorful shoots every year.
Care for harlequin pasture
The harlequin willow is considered an extremely easy-care plant. However, it does require occasional water and fertilizer, as well as pruning to keep it showing off its foliage.
There are a few things to consider when trimming grazing. The best time to cut back is in spring. But if you want to keep the flowers for insects, you should cut back a little later, after the flowering period in April.
And this is how you proceed when you cut your harlequin willow:
- Remove shoots on the stem
- Cut dead, crossing and diseased branches at the base
- Shorten all shoots by two thirds
- Always cut above a bud
- You can also radically cut back Harlequin willow bushes in autumn so that only a few stumps remain
- Do not injure grafting points on standard stems
- Re-cut if necessary in summer
Tip: Willows sprout again very quickly and cantherefore be severely cut back. Most of the colorful leaves are on the young, new shoots.
The substrate of the harlequin willow dries up relatively quickly, especially in pots and tubs. You should preferably water the willow so that the soil is moist but not waterlogged, as this is very damaging to the roots. Especially in midsummer, it is advisable to regularly check whether the soil is still moist. Otherwise, rainwater or lime-free water should be poured in afterwards.
Container plants also benefit from annual fertilization in spring around the time the leaves sprout. A complete fertilizer like our Plantura organic universal fertilizer lasts a long time and provides the harlequin pasture with sufficient nutrients for a long time. Our biological fertilizer is primarily organic and safe for pets and garden animals.
Harlequin willows in tubs also need a new planter from time to time because they form a large root ball and need more space. The fresh substrate is also conducive to growth. If the root ball grows out of the pot or the harlequin willow is no longer growing properly, it is time for a new pot. It is best to repot in the fall. Be careful not to damage roots. You can also replant the harlequin willow and place it in a more suitable location in the garden if necessary. When repotting, nutrient-rich, slightly acidic potting soil and a well-balanced complete fertilizer such as our Plantura organic universal fertilizer are used again. The latter works for several months and constantly releases all the essential nutrients.
Propagate Harlequin Willow
Propagating the harlequin willow and many other willow species is basically very simple. You can use offshoots or cuttings to propagate the harlequin willow. To create an offshoot yourself, bend a branch of the shrub so that it rests on the ground. Secure the branch with a rock or metal peg, pile some soil in the middle of the branch and keep it moist. If the offshoot has formed many roots after a year at the latest, it can be separated from the mother plant. This creates a bushy harlequin willow.
Propagating cuttings is just as easy. The best way to do this is to place the branches cut off after pruning in a vase of water and wait for roots to form. The rooted young pastures should thenshould first be planted in a pot with a mixture of soil and sand before planting out.
If you want to cultivate a harlequin willow as a standard, you have to graft the branch onto a previously grown willow trunk. However, this requires some practice and unfortunately the refinement does not always succeed. The appropriate technique is winter hand finishing. For this purpose, young shoots of the harlequin willow are cut off in autumn and grafted onto the base by means of split grafting. Suitable rootstocks are, for example, osier (Salix viminalis) or ripe willow (Salix daphnoide). These can be shortened to the desired height directly before grafting - this is how the height of the willow trunk is determined. A gap of about 4 cm in length is cut into the cutting site with a sharp knife. Now you need a shoot of the harlequin willow, which is grafted onto the base. It should have the same diameter as the base, otherwise it will be difficult to grow together. The lower end is now cut like a wedge that fits exactly into the gap in the underlay. The scion is stuck firmly into the pad and wrapped tightly with raffia to secure it. The interfaces are then coated with tree wax. It is best to place the plant in an evenly warm and bright place.
Winter Harlequin Willow
If you have decided to plant the harlequin willow in a bucket, you must give it additional protection in winter. It is therefore advantageous to wrap the pot in bubble wrap, fleece or a jute sack. Then move the willow to a spot that is protected from the wind.
Harlequin willows planted in established soil require no more than a layer of mulch over the garden soil to protect against permafrost. Otherwise the willow is considered hardy and generally overwinters without problems.
Common Pests and Diseases of Harlequin Willow
The harlequin willow is rather resistant to pests and diseases, but there are a few exceptions:
- Brown leaf tips: If the harlequin willow gets brown leaf tips, this is usually due to too much or too little water. If so, check the soil and adjust the watering.
- Willow Borer (Cossus cossus): Becomes the Harlequin Willowplagued by pests, it is often the willow borer. Its larvae are easy to recognize because they are white to dark red and live in the wood where they are clearly visible. As a symptom, the leaves of the willow usually curl. You should cut off the affected branches generously and burn them, as the willow borer lives on in the dead wood and can reinfect the plant after pupating.
- Mottled Willow Leaf Beetle (Chrysomela vigintipunctata): If your willow shows signs of being eaten, it may be the spotted willow leaf beetle, which you also have fight by cutting back branches.
- Fungal infestation: A fungal infestation with rust fungi or anthracnose is characterized by black-brown spots on leaves and branches. They appear scorched and need a liberal pruning.
Is the harlequin willow poisonous?
Basically, the harlequin willow is not considered poisonous. However, bark and shoots contain tannins that are released if a dog or cat chews on them for a long time. These tannins can then lead to indigestion. The Judas tree convinces with less conspicuous foliage, but with spectacular flowers in spring. We give tips and tricks on location and care.