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Fri, Aug 24, 07 at 23:23
| Hello,
This is my first time posting on the Shrubs forum. I am helping a friend with a bed, and we were considering a salix Flamingo. I have a Hakuro Nishiki which I like, but this is supposed to be an improved variety. My problem is I can't seem to find a consensus of it's potential size. Monrovia's site says fast-growing, 15 to 20 feet high, while Park's says 24 by 24 inches!! And I've found just about every size in between too! Anyone have any experience with this who could tell me what I can expect size-wise? And while I'm at it, is this a shrub that would be suitable for about half sun/half shade, in a consistently wet (not soggy, but wet) area by a stream? Thanks!
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Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Sat, Aug 25, 07 at 22:15
| I'd be more inclined to believe the Monrovia information. First, they are a much more reputable grower than Park Seeds (24"x24" - what a joke!!) and there is nothing in the information currently available about this very new introduction that would indicate it is a significantly smaller plant. Salix integra in the species form has the potential to grow into quite a massive shrub, as does the cultivar 'Hakuro Nishiki'. I just recently viewed one that was easily 8' tall by close to 10' wide and it had been consistently pruned to maintain that size. Unless 'Flamingo' is grafted onto some sort of dwarfing root stock, there is nothing that would suggest its growth habit would be significantly different. And your siting sounds very good for this shrub. |
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| Hi gardengal. Yes, I also would believe Monrovia more than Parks - I did think 2x2 feet was pretty unbelievable - but it was just that I am finding sizes for this all over the charts - 2x2, 6x6, 8x10, 20 feet high! It's hard to make a judgement on purchase and placement with such conflicting information. I guess I'll err on the side of the larger size. Thanks for your help on this, as well as the siting. I appreciate it! :) |
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- Posted by don_shirer 6 (My Page) on Sat, May 9, 09 at 11:06
| I know this is a little late, but I just bought a Flamingo at a garden club sale and found many references on the web. Most say it can grow to 10-14 ft by itself, but it can easily be trimmed to 4-6 ft high. Several recommend two or three shearings a year, say in late spring and late summer, to stimulate the new colorful growth. |
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| Hi. I planted a Flamingo willow last year, and I'm wondering whether it will grow big enough to fill in the space where I planted it. Like others who posted to this thread, I found that the estimated size for this shrub varies a lot, depending on whose site you look at. I'm wondering whether anyone on GardenWeb has actually grown it. If the people who posted to this thread a few years ago still have their willows and read this post, I'd love to know how it turned out for them. Or maybe someone else has grown it? Thanks. |
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| I grow this shrub and it is quite large. In my garden (south-west facing but with mature trees high overhead) it has grown to 7' tall and equally wide in less than 4 years and it has been pruned once! In my garden it has a graceful fountain-like shape and is not as tight and tidy as the photos on the web. Everyone that sees it is enthralled by its stately grace, but either give it lots of space or prune it back. |
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| When you shear willows they look bad during the winter. The way to control size of these is to instead lop them back severely at the end of winter. You do not want to cut back beyond the lower parts of the shoots, especially if you have planted a specimen trained up on a single stem. |
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| Bought this 2009 as a half standard grafted at about 32".Cut right back in winter that year to increase the amount of branches and even the spread.I let it grow all year so the long branches start to weep, then see each winter what needs pruning.Looks OK this time of year but obviously a lot of new growth will start heading upwards by the end of the year.Though it won't look neat all year I'd rather do it this way than keep chopping it back as often recommended, as I like the semi weeping look and not the 'pom pom' look and fear it will become too dense otherwise.It's now about 4.5ftx4.5ft so you can slow it down though I think eventually it could get quite large....it's still got a way to go :) 2009...http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n596/houzi1/?action=view&cu rrent=be2310a4.jpg cut back 2009...http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n596/houzi1/?action=view&cu rrent=d252d035.jpg 2010...http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n596/houzi1/?action=view&cu rrent=770c9247.jpg 2011...http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n596/houzi1/?action=view&cu rrent=83f0d588.jpg 2012...http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n596/houzi1/?action=view&cu rrent=7b8dceed.jpg |
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| Actually overall volume of a shrub is less after hard pruning than it would have been during the same time period if hard pruning had not been undertaken. Shrubs do not get bigger because you cut them back. |
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| Sorry if misleading,it has not been my intention to limit the growth,more to achieve the weeping effect which I'm not sure would have happened if chopped back several times a year as often recommended on websites(maybe I'm wrong)The photos show the growth rate one can expect over 3years if mainly unpruned. |
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