#coppiced

Plant of the Day

Wednesday 22 January 2025

A fast-growing deciduous tree Salix alba var. vitellina 'Yelverton' (golden willow) is often coppiced (here on a 'leg' or stem) to be grown as a shrub. This results in plentiful new growth with striking reddish-orange and yellow-orange stems. These can produce an excellent octopus sculpture for a winter display and these stems will be pruned in the spring prior to bud burst before the new foliage is produced.

Plant of the Day

Friday 16 December 2022

The slow-growing Quercus pontica (Armenian oak, Pontine oak) is native to a small area of the Caucasus mountains in western Georgia, north-east Turkey and Armenia. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree and here it has been coppiced, maybe due to damage, producing these new shoots.

Plant of the Day

Sunday 23 January 2022

Here the coloured stems of Salix alba var. vitellina 'Britzensis' (coral bark willow, scarlet willow) have become a winter sculpture. These vigorous medium-sized deciduous tree are here being grown as a shrub which is being ‘stooled’ (coppiced) on top of a short stem known as a ‘leg’. Pruning will be carried out in early spring before bud burst removing last years stems to encourage regrowth with the colourful red bark.

Plant of the Day

Friday 18 February 2022

The purple young shoots of Salix irrorata (blue-stem willow) are bloomed white in winter providing a great addition to a winter garden. Here this upright deciduous shrub has been surrounded with clumps of Galanthus nivalis (snowdrop) which seem an appropriate association with the grey-white stems.

Plant of the Day

Sunday 10 January 2021

Another set of sculptural shapes created using Salix alba var. vitellina 'Britzensis' (scarlet willow, coral bark willow) plants which have been stooled (coppiced) to promote these long colourful stems. This growth will be pruned in the late winter or early spring to encourage more new growth in the Winter Garden at the Royal Horticultural Society Garden Hyde Hall, Essex.