Varieties Grown

At Barfad Willow I currently have eighteen varieties. 

For Brown Willow:

Dark Dicks​ (Salix purpurea): This is one of my most popular basket making varieties. It is a very fine willow with dark brown-purple-red rods.​

Green Dicks (Salix purpurea): A fine rod with a pale green stem which changes to a whitish green in the winter. Green Dick is another popular basket making willow. ​

Dicky Meadows (Salix purpurea): A waxy, slender, willow, a little more stout that the Dicks'. The rods are pale green near the butts and gradually change to a yellow-brown and then reddish-brown towards the tips.

Packing Twine (Salix purpurea): A fine slender yellowy-green willow very popular for basket making.

Irish Brittany Green (Salix purpurea): Slender green stems make Brittany Green another popular basket willow. 

Uralensis (Salix purpurea): A fine waxy green stemmed variety which produces tall rods It is suitable for small living willow structures, hurdles and is very popular for basket making.

Eugenii (Salix purpurea): Slender green stems with abundant and very early buds.
A fast growing vigorous species suitable for small living willow structures and hurdles. Because the bark can lift when soaking Eugeneii it is not so popular for basket making.

Harrisons (Salix Purpurea x Viminalis): A stout rich brown-red,-deep green rod which is popular for larger bakets. It has a smooth even bark.

Brittany Blue (Salix purpurea x Salix daphnoides): Beautiful slender stems with a make this a very popular willow for basketry. Once dry it develops a bluish hue which makes it quite distinctive.

Continental Purple (Salix daphnoides): A stunning deep purple willow which develops a white bloom when dry. It's quite stout and therefore not so popular for basket making - but I can't resist growing it because it is such an incredible colour. Some people like to use it for living willow structures.

Flanders Red (Salix alba vitellina x fragilis): The waxy rods of Flanders Red are green with a red tinge that dry to a rich orange brown. It is quite stout so although suitable for basket making it is mainly used for larger baskets. ​

Tri Norfolk: A straight fine chocolate brown willow suitable for hurdles and larger scale basket making. ​It has a distinctive knobbly bark, each bud forming a knobble. This makes it a little hard on the hands to work and therefore less popular.

Golden Willow (Salix alba vitellina): The rods of Vitellina are not terribly slender, but the distinctive bright yellow stems are stunning. They dry to a deep chocolate brown, black or an interesting motley mixture.

Scarlet Willow (Salix alba chermisina): Chermesina produce remarkably rich orange-red rods which are very popular for their colour. It's hard to grow, produces many small side shoots and is therefore sold at a premium price.

Black Maul (Salix triandra): Black Maul has a deep blackish-brown bark. It is the traditional basket making variety and is perfect for hurdles. ​The bark is a little knobbly.

For Living Willow:

Salix viminalis: A fast growing, hardy, vigorous willow which can grow four metres in a season. The rods are brown, tough, flexible and straight. Traditionally viminalis was used to make baskets for fishing and agriculture, but it's not good for finer baskets. It's ideal for making living willow structures, furniture, drawing charcoal, wind-breaks and for soil stabilisation, waste filtration, and fuel.

Sericans: Another fast growing, vigorous willow with pale brown rods which are sturdy, tough, flexible and straight. It's ideal for making living willow structures, furniture and wind-breaks and for drawing charcoal, soil stabilisation, waste filtration, and fuel. ​

Chinese (Salix miyabeana): A waxy green stemmed willow which turns orangey-red towards the tips. It can be wavy rather than dead straight.
​It is fast growing and vigorous. Very popular for living willow structures, soil stabilization and waste filtration.