Golden Curls Willow in it’s natural state.
Golden Curls Willow is a very attractive plant with branches that twist and turn like a pigs tail, but they can get big. One of Our Members, Roger Higgins from Roger’s Backyard Nursery in Cranesville, Pa has a very unusual approach to growing and selling this tree.
A late friend of mine discovered and brought this plant to market many, many years ago. The very first one he found growing next to his pond. He was showed me how he started them using cuttings as long as 40″ long, which is kinda crazy, most plants would never root with a cutting that long. Most cuttings are four to five inches.
I shared that strategy in Our Members Area and Roger took to using it.
But then he add a new twist, get it “New Twist”. He started putting these three to a container and braids them together.
Golden Curls Willow growing at Mike’s Plant Farm in Perry, Ohio
Roger Higgins showing off one of his braided Golden Curls Willow Trees.
Look closely at the plant that Roger is hold, he’s got three plants per pot, braided together. He sells these as patio plants for people to put in a container on the patio.
Braiding Golden Curls Willow.
And we made a movie of Roger explain how he does this. Take a peek . . .
Questions, comments, mean things to say? Post them below and I will respond.
We have a 3-5 year old golden curl willow that has 10-12 stems that it originates out of at the bottom, but we want it to grow into more or a tree than a shrub. Would this be a good way to collect the individual stems into one larger one? Or should we prune away all but one? Thanks!
Lacey,
Either prune away all but one or wait until next winter and stick some of those branches in the ground and grow them out as single stem trees. Search this site for hardwood cuttings for more detail.
You guys don’t have enough sense to come in out of the rain? [-:
Long story short, how can I buy one of these? I saw a specimen in the local Arboretum in Seattle, WA but cannot find this at any of the expensive nurseries in the area. Please, is there any way / any advice on how to acquire one of these trees. I left a voicemail at Roger’s nursery Ph# and never got a reply…I doubt he would ever ship to Seattle. Sincerely, A first time home buyer with a empty yard and prolific love of all things plants and trees.
Amy,
Many of our members grow and sell them and we do have people in your area, but I don’t keep their contact information handy.
Can I do the same with climbing lilac or honeysuckle or both?
Maria,
You can try, but you need to start with some straight, limbers stems that can be braided.
Can you root theses the same way you did with the dish pans and sand? Have this tree in my yard and constantly trimming it. Would love to do this!
CJ,
Absolutely you can! https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-summertime-plant-propagation-techniques-can-home/
I have thought about doing something similar, using different colors of flowering lilac. Obviously willow is much more flexible though.
is this willow the same as a corkscrew willow?
Vickie,
I would say not because the is a golden willow, not green stemmed.
Can I do the same thing with the corkscrew willow? I have 8 that I bought when they were tiny, and now they are 1 1/2 to 2 feet tall (they are growing fast!). I have them all in one pot and need to do something with them and found this post. It’s already the end of August and I need to do something with these trees. Should I bring them into the garage for the winter after I repot them? I don’t want the to croak on me.
Thank you for your time. ~Tricia P
Tricia,
Yes you can but I suggest keeping them outside in a protected area, burying the pots partially in the ground helps. But be sure to move them in early spring, they are likely to root in over the winter.
i am cloning bougainvillea plants for friends/family. having decent luck. however, i have to prune the ‘bigger’ plants fairly often and it seems wasteful to just cut them back and throw in trash. is there someway to save the better looking cuttings for use later? thanks. jim