In early spring, the silver bud willow comes to life with its distinctive purple-brown branches that sprout fluffy, bud-like flowers. These buds are white in color, exuding an elegant and fresh appearance. As an outstanding early blooming plant, it transforms into a lush green shrub during summer, blending naturally into the landscape. It thrives along pond edges, riverbanks, lakesides, lawns, and forest borders. Additionally, its flexible branches are widely used as cut flowers for floral arrangements, decorative displays, or even for individual vase arrangements.
Known also as the silver willow, cotton willow, or willow branch, the silver bud is a deciduous shrub that typically grows 2 to 3 meters tall. Its young branches are greenish-brown with a reddish tinge, and they are covered in fine armpit hairs. As the branches age, they become smooth. Winter buds are red-purple and shiny, making them visually appealing even in the dormant season. The ornamental period of the silver bud lasts from December through March of the following year.
Native to the northeastern region of China, the silver bud willow is also found in parts of the Korean Peninsula and Japan. It prefers sunny, warm, and humid conditions and is highly adaptable, tolerating moisture, cold, and drought. It thrives in deep, loose, and fertile soils. Regular watering is essential, especially during hot summer months when evaporation is rapid. Watering should be done in the evening or at night, avoiding midday to prevent stress on the plant. During rainy seasons, proper drainage is crucial to avoid waterlogging, which can lead to root rot. In addition to base fertilization, applying well-decomposed liquid fertilizer during the growing season and spraying a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution on the leaves helps promote strong, healthy foliage. After winter flower buds begin to swell and before cutting for commercial use, heavy fertilization is necessary to support robust flower bud development.
When grown as cut flowers, silver bud willows can survive in colder regions, but their branches may freeze during winter. To prepare for the next season, all branches can be cut back before winter and stored in a cold room at 1°C to 3°C, either in a sand bed or in a wet environment to induce dormancy. By early January, when temperatures reach 5°C to 10°C, the base of the branches can be placed in water to encourage growth. Once the flower buds develop, the cuttings are ready for sale as fresh cut flowers.
Propagation of silver bud is commonly done through cuttings, usually in spring. Healthy cuttings should be taken from the mother plant, selecting sections with thick, full leaf buds and a diameter of at least 0.5 cm. Each cutting should be about 10 to 15 cm long, containing 4 to 5 leaf buds, and inserted directly into a planting medium with a spacing of 35 cm. Roots typically develop within 15 days. When the shoots reach around 10 cm in length, the entire shoot is topped, leaving only 3 strong buds while removing the rest.
Grafting is another effective propagation method, particularly for creating plants with upright stems, often referred to as "caking silver buds," which are popular in landscaping. This technique involves using weeping willow seedlings as rootstocks, selected based on desired height, and grafting them using a splice method. Proper pruning is essential after grafting to maintain an attractive, well-shaped tree structure.
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