Willows galore
At Derby Canyon Natives I grow close to 140 species of plants but the bulk of my revenue comes from about 12 species that we sell in large numbers for restoration projects. Many projects, particularly those in riparian areas, call for one or more species of willows.
Hobbes in the MacKenzie willow cutting bed
There are many species of willows used for plantings in and near waterways; the main ones I grow include coyote willow (Salix exigua), Pacific willow (S. lasiandra), Sitka willow (S. sitchensis) and MacKenzie willow (S. prolixa). We have cutting beds from which we can produce live stakes and poles; these straight pieces of 1-3 year old wood, usually 3′-4′ long, are inserted directly into moist soil to root and grow. Propagating these species in the nursery is pretty easy. We make cuttings while the willows are still dormant, usually in February, and store them until April. We then soak 3-5″ stem pieces for a few days and stick them directly into growing media in the containers in which they will grow.
Some species root poorly from stem cuttings, like the upland Scouler’s willow (S. scouleriana), or not at all, as with quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), so we grow them from seed. Both of these bloom in April (the male catkins of Scouler’s willow have the best “pussy willows”) and cast their downy seeds to the wind soon thereafter. We clean the fluff from the very tiny seeds and promptly sow them on the surface of wet media (seeds are only viable for a week or so).
Scouler’s willow seed
For me it’s a bit magical because they can germinate within hours, quickly swelling and pushing a root down into the mix. Our main problem is that the seeds are so small it is easy to oversow them and end up with 20+ seedlings in a little tube (and tedious work for someone later thinning them out!)
Scouler’s willow seedlings
You may have caught the blog title’s oblique reference to character in a James Bond movie… but do you know which movie? Answer below…
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Goldfinger (1964)
