Salix purpurea 'Nancy Saunders' is a multipurpose and outstanding basketry willow. Maybe the best for fine basketry! An elegant, smaller male willow, with delicate narrow blue-green leaves, on slender, shiny red stems. Stem and leaf colour deepens in autumn, with leaves finally turning yellow. Small (1”) silvery catkins cover the shrub in early spring. They start black-grey, and turn pink and yellow with abundant pollen. Attracts bees like crazy! Will grow in full sun to partial shade. The greater the sun exposure, the brighter and more colourful the stems. Left unpruned, Nancy Saunders produce lots of twiggy, colorful growth and smaller leaves. If unpruned the shrub can reach 6 to 12 feet tall. Coppice every couple of years to keep the shrub compact, and develop good stems for fine basketry. When coppiced it produces 4 to 5 ft long straight stems, with long narrow leaves. Or, leave every couple of years to develop more catkins. Can be used in small gardens if pruned right after flowering in early spring. Stems are a lovely dark brown to grey-green when dried for basketry.
