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‘Frances Red’ Basket Willow main item image
‘Frances Red’ Basket Willow main full-size item image ‘Frances Red’ Basket Willow full-size item image #2

‘Frances Red’ Basket Willow

bare-root plants
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Salix purpurea
Purplish red skin.

8-10'

We grew these plants from cuttings we got from basketmaker Johnny Suderman in Ontario. He describes the plant as having long non-branching purplish-red rods with blue-green leaves. When he soaks them for basketmaking, the stems turn “dark grey with some purple-red.” This is his favorite willow for baskets.

Once established, you can coppice it annually for a perpetual source of basketmaking material. Z4. 

(12")

ships in spring
Quick Details
Skin Color
purplish red
Hardy to Zone
4
Compare
Compare with other Willows
Variety Product Type Skin Color Hardy to Zone
Black Pussy Willow bare-root plants purple-black 4
‘Blackskin’ Myrsine-Leaf Willow bare-root plants dark red-brown 4
‘Frances Red’ Basket Willow bare-root plants purplish red 4
Blue Leaf Arctic Willow bare-root plants 3
‘Mt. Aso’ Japanese Pink Pussy Willow bare-root plants 4
Japanese Fantail Willow cuttings reddish golden 4
Additional Information

Small Trees and Shrubs

As Green’s Nursery catalog from 1904 explains, “There are many trees that by pruning can be made to resemble shrubs, and many shrubs that by different pruning may be made to produce medium-sized trees.”

Willows Salix spp.

The genus Salix comprises hundreds of different species of plants most commonly called willows but sometimes called Osier or Sallow. Willows grow all over the world. Some, like the weeping willow, are towering specimens. Others are short scrubby bushes; willows growing in the arctic can be 100 years old but only 2' tall! Uses include ornamental landscaping, shade, basketmaking, erosion control, timber, fuel and medicine. All parts, especially the bark, contain salicin, used for relief of pain and fever for hundreds, or even thousands, of years. Aspirin is a synthetic analog of salicin. Willows feed local wildlife, insects and birds. We plant them near the orchard to provide early season forage for our native pollinators. All prefer sun and loamy wet soils, but are adaptable, easily transplanted and fast growing.

Shipping

Items from our perennial plants warehouse ordered on or before February 20 will ship from March through early May, starting with warmer areas and finishing in colder areas.

Orders placed after February 20 will ship from April to May.