
| Salix purpurea Purpleoiser willowCulture: Found along stream banks in its native environs, this willow can tolerate wet to dry sites. For this reason, the Soil Conservation Service is using this species for bank stabilization along waterways. It performs best in full sun with acidic or neutral soils. It should be pruned to the ground regularly to keep a more formal habit and stimulate vigorous young purple stems. Several minor problems exist but are not of much concern. Renewal pruning of the oldest stems to the ground will do much to keep the plant free from trouble. Usage: This plant performs well in moist to wet sites and has a suckering habit, lending itself to use in stream and pond bank stabilization. There is little landscape value for the straight species unless time is taken to routinely prune out the older stems, for they provide no ornamental interest whatsoever. Some of the dwarf cultivars such as 'Nana' have a place in a rock garden or as a small accent plant along a shrub border. The stems are used in basket making and the wood is used to produce artist's charcoal. |