‘Rubykins’ Willow (Salix koriyanagi ‘Rubykins) Multi-stem shrub, hardy to zone 4, full sun. Grows 10-12 feet, and perhaps a little taller if pruned to one trunk. Narrow, blue-green leaves with pink tips in spring- Alan’s favorite willow in leaf. Adorable miniature ruby pink catkins on blond wood in early spring are often blooming right around Valentine’s Day. I would much rather receive a bundle of these than a bouquet of pesticide-laden roses from Ecuador, and I’ll bet your sweetheart would too.

Look how cute the catkins are. A word of caution- if you see these in bloom you will NOT be able to resist purchasing a bundle. We sell bundles of cut branches in February and March and potted shrubs March through October.

Here is a mass planting of Rubykins in leaf in one of our willow fields, where we grow willows just to harvest their branches. They are a sight to behold when blooming in spring. If you have 4 wheel drive, consider visiting our farm in February.

Rubykins with their pink tips in early spring. In case you’re wondering what the concrete blocks are for, this year we grew starts of many of our willows in grow bags placed in these small concrete block cells. The concrete keeps the roots insulted in heat of summer, enabling the plants to keep growing. Black plastic pots heat up significantly more, inhibiting plant growth in high temps. The other advantage to grow bags in concrete is that the roots are air pruned, which is much healthier for the plant. In plastic pots, the roots circle around and around making it difficult for woody plants to get established. Trees can even be girdled to death in time!