Plant Finder

Description:

A wild shrub or small tree with long narrow foliage and thin branches; very upright and twiggy, tends to sucker and form large colonies, extremely hardy, does very well in standing water; good for naturalizing tough areas, often used in place of bamboo

Ornamental Features

Sandbar Willow has grayish green foliage with silver undersides on a plant with a round habit of growth. The large serrated narrow leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color. The smooth gray bark and silver branches add an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Sandbar Willow is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a more or less rounded form. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.

This is a high maintenance shrub that will require regular care and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Messy
• Suckering

Sandbar Willow is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Hedges/Screening
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens

Planting & Growing

Sandbar Willow will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. This plant does not require much in the way of fertilizing once established. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is native to parts of North America.