We have been selling willow cuttings for propagation since 2007. These hardwood cuttings are an easy and reliable way to grow new willow plantings. The willow varieties in the table have grown well at Dunbar Gardens in northwest Washington. Most of them are very useful for basket making; some are good for hedges, living fences, sculptural work, or garden ornamentals. There will be variation in the color of both the fresh and dried rods. Order instructions and prices are further down the page. There are also planting and growing tips further down the page which are included with orders. Please keep in mind that these cuttings are intended for use in gardens or where there is active control of weeds and grass. These are not large enough for conservation type plantings.

Update April 15, 2025: I have finished taking orders for this year. Thank you.

Willow cuttings list of varieties: Here is a list and short descriptions of the willows we offer. Keep in mind that is difficult to describe the colors of the dried willows. They often have a varied color that changes from the butt end to the tip. You will also find several collections of varieties that we offer as packages further down the page.

Variety	Species	Coppiced Height & Color Fresh	Comments
Dicky Meadows	S. purpurea	3-7' light green & red	Great choice for basketry. Productive variety. Dries to a muted green and brownish color.
Green Dicks	S. purpurea	4-8' olive green & red	Great for weaving baskets. Dries green.
Dark Dicks	S. purpurea	3-8' dark red	Longer, larger with nice color. Holds leaves late into fall. Dries varied brown, red colors.
Bleu	S. purpurea	3-8' green to purple	Long, slender rods. Dries to a blue green color.
Brittany Greens Not Available	S. purpurea	4-8' mottled red over green	Long, nice for weavers, soft for borders. Green.
Goldstones	S. purpurea	4-9' golden green	Early catkins. Dried rods a vibrant green.
Hutchinson's Red	S. purpurea	4-8' red brown	Long, slender rods. Dries orange red color. Sourced from friend in Canada.
Irette	S. purpurea	5-10' light green	Large rods, early small catkins. Dries a bright green.
Jagiellonka	S. purpurea	4-9' olive green to red	Long rods. Dries bright green.
Lancashire Dicks	S. purpurea	3-7' green to red	Slender rods. Dries green.
Packing Twine	S. purpurea	5-8' brown	Variety from Ireland. Dries a dark brown color.
Eugene	S. purpurea	4-9' pale green to red	Good for weaving, long rods for living willow work.
Lambertiana Not Available	S. purpurea	6-8' green to dark red	Some branching, rather large but nice to weave with.
Light Dicks Not available	S. purpurea	5-7' pale red brown	Despite the name dark color. Stiff rods.
Nancy Saunders	S. purpurea	3-8' red to gray	Fine red stems, a bit branchy.
Polish Purple	S. purpurea	4-8' green to red	Some branching, dries dark brown. Good weaver.
Richartii	S. purpurea	4-9' brown	Very thin rods, a little branchy, holds leaves late.
Vermont Red	S. purpurea	3-7' red	Thin rods. Dries dark red to black.
America Not available	S. purpurea	6-9' green to reddish brown	Large stocky rods. Previously misidentified as Salix americana.
Nana Not Available	S. purpurea 'nana'	2-5' brown, red buds	Very fine rods, small cuttings make propagation difficult.
Purpurea x daphnoides	S. purpurea x daphnoides	4-9' green to purple	Long slender dark rods.
Calliantha	S. x calliantha	3-7' dark red	Slender rods, a purpurea x daphnoides hybrid
Americana	S. americana	4-8' red	Reddish brown, good weaver. Needs longer soaking time.
Black Maul	S. triandra	5-10' black	Classic British basket willow but doesn't do well in most of US. Great weaver. Dries brown.
Black Hollander	S. triandra	5-9' black	Stocky large rods. Dries dark brown, great aroma.
Long Bud	S. triandra	5-10' brown	Very long stout rods. Might be useful in fences, hurdles, garden supports.
Noir de Touraine	S. triandra	4-8' dark brown	Slender triandra. Dries a medium brown color.
Noir de Villaines	S. triandra	5-9' dark brown	Large but nice weaver, a little stiff. Dries a medium brown.
Whissender	S. triandra	5-9' green	Dries light brown, nice aroma. Favorite triandra.
Harrisons	S. x rubra	4-10' green	Large rods for living willow projects. Dries dark brown, good weaver.
Harrison's B	S. x rubra	5-9' reddish brown	Stocky but beautiful color and nice for weaving. Dries a chocolate brown to red color.
Continental Osier Not available	S. x rubra	7-10' green	Large rods. Dries light brown.
Irish Red	S. x rubra ?	5-10' green	Large rods. Living willow projects.
Rubykins Not Available	S. koriyanagi	5-10' brown	Early abundant pink catkins.
Flanders Red	S. x fragilis	3-10' green to red	Some branching, waxy stems. Mixed sizes of small to large rods. Dries mostly red.
Bouton Aigu	S. x fragilis	4-9'	French variety similar to Flanders Red
Basfordiana	S. x fragilis	4-8' yellow to orange tips	Large stocky rods.
Britzensis	S. x fragilis	4-9' orange to red	Branchy, beautiful color. Good as a side weaver but difficult for borders. Great fragrance.
Coral Embers	S. x fragilis	3-5' orange to red	Branchy, beautiful color. Smaller selection of Britzenis.
Cardinalis	S. x fragilis	5-9' yellow to red	Similar to Britzensis but more yellow.
Farndon	S. x fragilis	4-9' orange to red	Great winter color. Nice weaver. Dries to orange or reddish brown.
Fransgeel Rood	S. x fragilis	4-8' yellow to orange to red	Slender rods. Dries orange brown.
Golden	S. x fragilis	5-9' yellow to orange	Vigorous large rods.
Jaune de Falaise	S. x fragilis	4-8' yellow	Slender rods. Good for side weavers or waling. Dries orange brown.
Kaat Not available	S. x fragilis	5-9' yellow	Large rods
Natural Red	S. x fragilis	5-10' yellow to red	Dries red/orange. Good weaver overall and can be used for all parts of the basket.
Raesfeld Not available	S. x fragilis	3-8' green to red	Waxy olive green rods. Strong columnar tree.
Blue Streak	S. acutifolia	3-9' green to purple with white bloom	Silvery white catkins. Can bloom December through March. Nice ornamental tree.
Acutifolia	S. acutifolia	3-8' purple rods with white bloom	Nice weaver. Dries a purple/black color. Can get a white bloom on the rods even after weaving.
Continental Purple	S. daphnoides	5-12' purple	Beautiful dark stout rods. Great for living willow projects.
Dugpil	S. daphnoides	6-10' purple	Danish variety
Le Bleu	S. daphnoides	5-10' purple	variety from Joe Hogan
Meikle Not Available	S. daphnoides	6-10' purple	Large rods.
Stewartstown	S. daphnoides	5-10' purple to black	Dark stout rods.. Early large catkins for floral cuttings.
Bluestem	S. irrorata	4-6' Dark red covered in powdery white bloom in winter	Southwest native, winter ornamental, not vigorous.
Blackskin	S. myrsinfolia	4-9' black	Black when fresh, soaks up a dark red.
Fanny's White	S. x fragilis decipiens	2-5' light brown to cream	White Welsh willow. Not vigorous when coppiced. Dries a pretty pale green.
Melanostachys	S. gracilistyla	Spreading large shrub	Black catkins. Ornamental not for basketry.
Mount Aso	S. gracilistyla	2-6' when coppiced	Pink catkins. Ornamental not for basketry
Pink Delight	S. americana x eleagnos f. angustifolia
Pescara	S. amplexicaulis	3-7' dark purple	Slender but branchy, holds leaves very late, small early catkins clustered on branch tips.
Suchow	S. suchowensis		Large rods. Potential for living willow structures.
Arnold Select	S. miyabeana		Large rods. Potential for living willow structures or windbreaks. Leafs out very early.
Scarlet Curly Willow Not available	Salix x pendulina f. erythroflexuosa		Ornamental curly willow

Recommendations:

• S. purpurea varieties are the best choice to produce rods for weaving when coppiced in most locations. Our favorites are Dicky Meadows, Green Dicks, Dark Dicks, Bleu, Jagiellonka, Irette, Goldstones, Packing Twine, Lancashire Dicks, Vermont Red.
• S. triandra varieties are good basketry willows but can grow very branchy in most places. Suitable for locations with cooler, milder weather like maritime influenced climates. Favorites include Whissender and Noir de Villaines.
• Some other good choices for basketry in most locations include Purpurea x daphnoides, Salix americana, Harrison’s B, Flanders Red.
• We offer several S. x fragilis varieties that range in the yellow to red tip color when fresh. Most dry to a reddish brown color. These can be a bit branchy or stocky depending on the climate but usually produce nice rods after a couple years of coppicing. Our favorites include Jaune de Falaise, Fransgeel Rood, Natural Red, Farndon.
• S. daphnoides and S. acutifolia have rods in the purple color range. They often have a white ‘bloom’ on the older wood. This bloom sometimes appears after they are harvested. Some nice varieties are Continental Purple, Blue Streak, Dugpil and S. acutifolia unnamed.
• Good varieties for living willow structures include Eugene, Goldstones, Continental Purple, Irish Red, Harrisons. For living fences Irette, Eugene, Goldstones, Harrison’s B, any of the S. triandra.
• Most of the varieties have potential for harvesting bark. Bark is usually harvested from older rods. We use rods that are at least three years old. I would still recommend coppicing the first year after planting. The best bark will come from the long lower length of the rod that is fairly free of branches. Also it’s better to plant your willows for bark separate or on the north side of your planting to avoid shade.
• Varieties with possible floral value include Stewartstown, Blue Streak, Irette, Rubykins, Bluestem, Pescara, Nancy Saunders, Melanostachys, Mount Aso, Scarlet Curls.
• Caution when ordering S. purpurea varieties in the Pacific Northwest. Some varieties are particularly attractive to a stem gall midge in the Cecidomyiidae family. The midge lays eggs in the stems and the larvae make a gall on the stem. The most susceptible varieties at our farm are Eugene, Lambertiana, Polish Purple, Packing Twine, Richartii, Leicestershire Dicks, Light Dicks, America, Vermont Red.
• Remember that a bundle of 5 cuttings really won’t produce a significant number of rods. It does offer a way to trial a variety and produce more cuttings to propagate. In order to start growing enough to actually weave baskets it’s better to plant 20 or more of a few varieties.

How to order willow cuttings:

The best way to propagate willow is from dormant hardwood cuttings; so I have to limit the sales to the winter months. I start taking orders on January 1. To order send an e-mail to steve@dunbargardens.com with the name of the varieties and the quantity of each you would like to order. Please include your mailing address so that I can determine applicable sales tax or shipping. We use PayPal invoices for sales that allow you to pay securely online however you choose, but we are happy to accept checks. Orders picked up at the farm can pay by cash (with discount), check or credit card when the order is picked up. No telephone orders please.

Can’t decide?

• Basketmaker’s package: One bundle of 10 each of Dicky Meadows, Bleu, Dark Dicks, Goldstones, Jagiellonka, Purpurea x daphnoides, Whissender, Americana, Harrison’s B, Jaune de Falaise. $200 for 100 cuttings.
  
• Color package: One small bundle of 5 each of Irette, Polish Purple, Farndon, Fransgeel Rood, Natural Red, Continental Purple, Blue Streak, Blackskin, Flanders Red. $100 for 45 cuttings.

2026 Willow Cuttings Prices:

• Minimum order is $200 (except for pickup at the farm).
• $20 per bundle of 10 cuttings or $12 per bundle of 5.
• $25 shipping and handling charge for each order. There may be additional shipping charge for large orders.
• Washington State residents pay sales tax based on their delivery address. Farms and businesses with a WA Reseller Permit can provide us a copy by email to avoid sales tax. There is no sales tax for other states.

Our production of willows for Katherine’s baskets allows us to select good sized cuttings to insure successful rooting in your garden. Our cuttings are about 11 inches in length.

We do not sell dried willow rods for basketmaking or weaving.

Planting willow cuttings and growing tips:

You can grow basket willows in a wide range of soil types, but they prefer well drained soils in full sun. The willows will grow in almost all areas of the US and are very hardy. Willows in general have a tendency to be variable to climate and growing conditions. Your willow bed should ideally be free of any perennial weeds. Get your willow growing area ready the year before you plant. The soil is often too wet in the early spring when you will want to plant the cuttings. Some people choose to plant through a weed barrier fabric. Make sure you cut larger enough holes in the poly to avoid girdling of the stem as the plant grows in subsequent years.

Spring is the best time to plant willow cuttings. Late February through April. You can leave the willow cuttings in your fridge until you are ready to plant them. Plant when the ground has thawed and danger of hard frost has passed. If you garden, a good time to plant coincides with early crops like peas or when daffodils are blooming. Later is fine if it allows you to prepare the area and control weeds.

Willow cuttings root easily. Plant by simply pushing the cuttings into the ground with the buds facing up. If the soil is rocky or compacted, make a hole with a dibber for each cutting. Try to plant the cuttings 6 to 9 inches into the ground. Leave 2 or 3 buds above the soil surface. Firm the soil around the planted cuttings. Make a map of the varieties; labels get lost in the field.

Maintain and check for adequate soil moisture during the first summer. Water is most important the first year to get adequate rooting. Minimize competition for water and sunlight from weeds or other plants. Mulching the plants can be helpful. Wood chip mulch works well.

Spacing of the willow cuttings depends on several factors including how the willow will be harvested, how weeds will be controlled, variety, and soil fertility. We are using a spacing of 6 inches in the row by 36 inches between rows for most of our basket varieties. We have also used 12 inches by 30 inches. Wider spacing is appropriate for producing large rods for garden structures, trellises, or living fences; or when growing in poor soils. Hedges can be planted in a single row spaced from 12 to 24 inches; or a double row planted 24 inches apart with the plants offset.

Basket willows are usually coppiced to the ground annually, including the first year. Only an inch of the original stem needs to be left above the soil the second spring. Find more info and photos about coppicing here on our blog. This approach will give you more straight and uniform rods. We do leave some rods to grow for two or three years for sticks, stakes, and for bark peeling.

You can choose to grow all your willows as pollards which is an attractive landscape feature and keeps the willows up higher away from browsers and weeds. If starting with a cutting, it’s best to coppice the first year and then choose the best stem the second year and cut to the desired height.

Take a look at our webpage about basketry willow for some more information and photos of the willow at Dunbar Gardens: basketry willow. To see more current photos of our willows check out our Instagram feed which you can find below.