DescriptionPlanting InstructionsAfter CareDelivery & Guarantee
Corkscrew Willow Plants - Delivered by Mail Order from the Nursery with a 1 Year Guarantee
Corkscrew Willow, Salix babylonica Tortuosa, is an unmistakable tree with twisted, curly branches and wavy leaves.
Corkscrew Willow is not suitable for a clipped hedge.
It can be grown as a screening tree up to about 10 metres high. It is a decent windbreak tree.
Browse all of our other varieties of Willow trees & hedging for sale.
Corkscrew Willow trees are only delivered bareroot, during winter (Nov-March).
All of our young trees and shrubs are measured by their height in centimetres above the ground (the roots aren't measured).
General description of Salix babylonica Tortuosa plants:
The whole tree has a twisted aspect, with weeping branches and the famous corkscrew-like young stems. These curl around in uneven spirals, producing wavy, contorted leaves.
It is a small to medium sized tree and very ornamental in winter, when the bare branches are fully visible.
The young shoots are famous for use in flower arrangements. They both look great and last for ages because they put out roots in the vase and carry on growing! These trees have males and female plants and are pollinated by bees.
The flowers on each gender are quite similar: caterpillar like yellow catkins, with the female flowers being a bit smaller and greener. The little seeds are very dainty, scrolling open to reveal a wispy little beard of white hairs that helps them to drift a little way away from the parent tree.
Corkscrew Willow is a famous subject for bonsai.
Common Names:
This popular tree is known by many names worldwide.
Corkscrew or Twisted Willow.
Curly Willow
Chinese Willow.
Peking Willow.
Babylon Willow.
Navajo Willow.
Globe Willow.
Hankow Willow.
Dragon's Claw Willow.
Botanical Names:
Salix babylonica Tortuosa or Salix matsudana Tortuosa
History & uses of Salix babylonica Tortuosa
Regarding the two the botanical names, matsudana and babylonica, there was a time when botanists thought that there were two closely related trees, one with a single nectary in each flower and the other with two.
The great Russian botanist Alexey Skvortsov, who was the world's leading willow expert until his death in 2008, showed that this is really a single species. The single or double nectary is a naturally variable feature in this species and several other types of willow.
Although this is Chinese tree, the name Salix matsudana comes from the Japanese botanist Sadahisa Matsudo. He compiled the first modern books on Chinese plants in the late 1800s, around the time of the last Chinese dynasty.
Notes on planting Corkscrew Willow:
They love wet ground and won't tolerate chalk or shade.
The ideal spot for your trees is right beside a river or lake and they will do well in sodden, marshy ground.
Reports on its hardiness indicate that twisted willow trees might not live as long in the North as they do in the South, but they are certainly hardy enough to grow in cold regions.
Willows are generally a favourite target for honey fungus and we don't recommend this tree if you have had problems with this in the past.
Prepare your site before planting:
It is good to dig over the area where you intend to plant several months in advance. Destroy the weeds first: nettles, brambles and ground elder are tough and a glyphosate based weed-killer is the best way to remove them. Then dig the soil over; remove rocks, roots and other rubbish. Mix in well rotted compost or manure down to the depth of about 2 spades.
If you have a heavy clay soil, it might be too difficult to dig over for most of the year. Heavy clay is fertile soil, so you don't really need to improve it; killing the weeds is still necessary.
Remember to water establishing plants during dry weather for at least a year after planting.
Planting accessories:
Prepare your site for planting by killing the weeds and grass with Roundup weed killer.
If you are planting in an area with rabbit and/or deer, you will need to use a protective plastic spiral for each plant, supported by a bamboo cane.
If your soil quality is poor, we recommend using mycorrhizal "friendly fungi" on the roots of new trees and shrubs.
You can also improve your soil with bonemeal organic fertiliser and Growmore.
After you plant your Corkscrew Willow trees, the most important thing to do is water them in dry weather. You will also need to weed around the plants. Both of these will be necessary for at least a year after planting.
Water thoroughly but not too often: let the soil get close to drying out before watering your plants again.
Special notes on caring for Corkscrew Willow:
Corkscrew Willow is a very tough plant that shouldn't need special attention once it has established. If pruning is necessary, it is best do it in winter. Always hire a tree surgeon to remove large branches.
Propagating Salix matsudana:
It should be pointed out that these are naturally short lived trees: they are a pioneer species which take advantage of areas cleared by storms.
Apart from spreading by seed, their tactic for doing this is to be broken apart in the storm and regrow from scattered branches.
Their fragile structure is also susceptible to cankers and most trees succumb in about 50 years or so.
If you have an older tree that is on its way out, there is not much point spending money trying to save it.
The good news is that there are few trees which are quite as easy to propagate: simply take a cutting of the last season's growth between November and February and stick it into the ground. Putting it in the right way up is advised, but not essential!
Surrounding it with a thick layer of mulch will keep the weeds from competing with it for its first year, after which it should grow away swiftly.
Hygiene & Diseases:
Dead, damaged or diseased wood can be pruned off as soon as it appears.
Disinfect your pruning tools between every cut if there is any sign of disease.
Burn or dispose of any diseased material, do not compost it.
Read our full terms and conditions here.
Delivery: The basic delivery charge for orders of bareroot plants is £9.49 + vat, which increases to £12.55 + vat if you add any pot-grown plants, standard trees or fruit trees to the order.
Because couriers sometimes experience delays, we schedule delivery by week, not by day. Therefore, please plan your planting day for the weekend at the end of the delivery week or for the week following delivery, at the earliest.
You can choose the delivery week that suits you during checkout and we will email you the day before your plants are due to arrive.
Payment: We do not charge your card until we begin to prepare your order for packing.
Guarantee: If any plants die within a year, we will replace them. We only ask that you follow our planting & growing instructions and sent us clear photographs of the dead plants in situ, so we can help to make sure that the replacement plants succeed. You only pay for the delivery of the replacements.
Please note that our guarantee is void if there is a hosepipe ban in your area: your newly planted hedging must be watered in dry weather while it is establishing. The best way to water is very thoroughly every few days: at least once a week if there is no heavy rain.
Our nursery has been supplying container grown and bareroot hedging plants to gardeners, farmers and town planners since 1949. Our website started in 2003, so we do understand the concerns that you may have about buying hedging plants online. If any of your plants are damaged when they arrive or if you are otherwise not satisfied with your order after you inspect it, please repackage it and contact us. We will give you a refund or send replacements and send a courier to come and collect the unwanted plants.
Your 12 Month Guarantee
If any plants die within a year, we replace them if you have followed our instructions. You only pay for
the delivery of the replacements.
Place an order for £250 excluding VAT and delivery and we deliver it for FREE!
Bare-root Plants are only delivered in the winter season, from November to March. Pot grown plants can be delivered all year round
Advantages of Bare-root plants:
You pay less for the same size plants.
You can carry and plan them easily.
You only plant them in winter, so they need less maintenance after
planting. The rain will water them for their first few months.
You get the biggest selection: Many trees are not sold pot-grown.
They are "asleep" in winter - this is the best time to transplant any tree.
They use fewer fertilisers & fungicides, less water and fuel in their production & delivery.
Advantages of Pot Grown plants:
Pot grown plants can be delivered & planted all year round.
Plants with tender roots & larger specimens must be delivered in pots.
Plants in pots can be kept for months longer if there is a delay in planting.
Our Advice to You:
If you can't wait to get planting, order Pot grown plants now.
If you are not in a hurry, order bare-root plants for delivery this winter. Simply add them to your basket and choose a winter delivery date that suits you during checkout.
This will reserve your plants before they sell out.
We won't charge you until the day before delivery, so cancelling your order is always easy.
If you are only ordering chemicals and other small items, delivery is £3.50
Our delivery charge for most bareroot plants is £9.49 + VAT.
If your order contains any standard sized trees, fruit trees or pot-grown plants, then the delivery charge is £12.55 + VAT in TOTAL.
If you live in the Scottish Highlands or the Isle of Wight, there will be an extra charge of £15 + VAT on top of the appropriate basic charge, as listed above.
If your order is over £250 exc. VAT, there will be no delivery charge.
If you are uncertain, just add items to your basket which will calculate the basic shipping charge for you.
