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Salix Flamingo

peteSpeteS Posts: 870
in Plants
There are some Salix 'Flamingo' standards on sale at the moment at my local supermarket, and the foliage is quite an interesting pinkish colour. Has anyone grown this and what do they think of it from the point of view of hardiness, growing habit etc.  They are on sale at such a sillily low price, so any positive experiences might tempt me to buy one. Cheers.

Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 33,264
    I think they're ok ish when the new growth is appearing,( maybe a little vulgar? )  but pretty ugly thereafter. 
    I'm not a fan. 
    Devon.
  • FairygirlFairygirl west central ScotlandPosts: 48,918
    They're heavily promoted, but I loathe them.  :)
    It's very much a matter of personal taste with any plant though. 
    There's a house not far from me which has a line of them along a boundary fence, interspersed with hostas. They clearly like them, but IMO,  the pink foliage clashes dreadfully with the nice variegation on the hostas. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....


  • peteSpeteS Posts: 870
     @Hostafan1, @Fairygirl...I must admit if they were £10 each I wouldn't have looked twice at them, because they are borderline vulgar and probably difficult to place. It's only the fact that they are on sale for £5 that they caught my eye; which is probably the wrong approach when buying a plant. 
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 33,264
    @peteS
    As you say "they are borderline vulgar " 
    I think you've answered your own question. 
    Put the £5 towards something you love, not something cheap.
    Devon.
  • ObelixxObelixx Vendée, Western FrancePosts: 28,544
    It's a willow ball of fluff grafted onto another base willow stem.   They need ludicrous amounts of water to stay looking good and they get sun and/or wind burn easily if not kept moist.   

    Unnatural and vulgar so yes, save your money for something more rewarding and beautiful.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • IlikeplantsIlikeplants W Mids Posts: 894
    edited May 2021
    I’ve got an inherited one, 6.5ft maybe 7ft. Leafing up and filling out now and looking light pink. Soon it will be all slightly floppy pink and white. Then I’ll prune it back as far as possible, hoping to only prune once a year. I didn’t know it was grafted on rootstock, I’ve stuck some big cuttings in plant pots and one in the border and they are growing easily. I don’t give it extra care and water. It just does it’s own thing easily and has many admirers.
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