Salix atrocinerea: characteristics and care

View of a tree of the species Salix atrocinerea

Image - riomoros.com

El Salix atrocinerea It is a beautiful evergreen tree that looks perfect in a medium or large garden. Over time it comes to give a pleasant shade, so resting under its branches is an experience that, I am sure, the whole family will enjoy.

With minimal care, you can have this plant in your private paradise, since it also it resists frost without problems. 

Origin and characteristics

The leaves of the Salix atrocinerea are simple and long

Our protagonist it is a deciduous tree originally from Europe. In Spain we will find it in the Iberian Peninsula, but not in the Balearic or Canary archipelago. Its scientific name is Salix atrocinerea, and the common ones are bardaguera, black twill, salgueiro or willow.

Reaches a height of up to 12 meters, and has a crown composed of erect and thin branches, the youngest being hairy, and the most adult being hairless and lustrous. The leaves are whole or with thick teeth, rough, with well visible veins, ovate or lanceolate. Their upper surface is less hairy than the underside, the first being dark green and the second grayish.

Flowers, sprouting in late winter to early spring (between January and April in the northern hemisphere) they are arranged in very hairy catkins that are born before the leaves, and there are female and male as you can see in the images:

The fruit is a tomentose capsule that opens into two valves, inside which are seeds covered with whitish hairs.

Like all willows, it hybridizes very easily with other species. Thus, so far we know the following:

  • Salix × expectata: hybrid between Salix atrocinerea y Cantabrian Salix.
  • Salix × quercifolia: hybrid between Salix atrocinerea y Salix caprea.
  • Salix × guinieri: hybrid between Salix atrocinerea y Salix cinerea.
  • Salix × mairei: hybrid between Salix atrocinerea y Salix pedicellata.
  • Salix × altobracensis: hybrid entity Salix atrocinerea y Salix bicolour.
  • Salix × viiosorum: hybrid between Salix atrocinerea y Salix purpurea.
  • Salix × secalliana: hybrid between Salix atrocinerea y Salix salviifolia.
  • Salix × multidentata: hybrid between Atrocierea salix y Salix trianda.
  • Salix × stipularis: hybrid between Salix atrocinerea y Salix viminalis.

What are their cares?

If you want to get a copy, we recommend providing the following care:

Location

Put your Salix atrocinerea abroad, full sun. It can also grow in semi-shade as long as it has more light than shade. Of course, it must be planted at a distance of 5-6 meters from any construction, pipes and others since it has invasive roots.

Earth

The land it must be fresh, deep and acid. Due to its characteristics, it is not recommended to have it in a pot.

Irrigation

You have to water very often: every 2 days in summer and every 4-5 days the rest of the year.

Subscriber

From spring to summer it is advisable to pay with organic fertilizersand guano or herbivorous animal manure, once a month.

Multiplication

Cutting

Cuttings are usually obtained in autumn and winter, when it no longer has leaves. For it, Several healthy 1-year-old branches are chosen that are the thickness of a pencil, and from these, pieces of about 30cm in length are made.

Now, with a cuttex you will remove a little bark from the base, leaving about 3cm without it. Then you will only have to moisten the base and impregnating it with rooting hormones in order to root as soon as possible.

Finally, you will plant them in pots with porous substrate (It can be 100% perlite, or if you prefer, mix it with black peat in equal parts), give them a good watering and place them in a corner where they are not directly exposed to sunlight, outside.

Seed

Salix atrocinerea seeds germinate without difficulty

It is very difficult to obtain seeds of the Salix atrocinerea, and much more that these are viable. To this must be added that its viability period is very short, so it is convenient to take them immediately from the tree.

Once at home, the cottony 'fibers' will be removed and placed in a glass of water for 24 hours to begin to wake up. The next day they will be sown, for example, in a seedbed tray -like the ones we normally use to sow seeds of garden plants- with a substrate composed of black peat and a little perlite at an approximate ratio of 7: 3.

The ideal location will be one where it receives as much sunlight as possible. As to the risks, as we are talking about a moisture-loving plant, they have to be frequent.

Plagues and diseases

Although it is a very resistant tree, it can be affected by:

  • Aphids: they are parasites that measure less than 0,5cm in color yellow, brown or green. They feed on the cells of the leaves, especially the young ones. You can fight them with yellow sticky traps.
  • Mealybugs: they can be cottony and limpet type. They adhere to green stems and leaves, from where they also feed on cells. They are eliminated with anti-mealybug insecticides.
  • Roya: it is a disease caused by a fungus characterized by the appearance of reddish bumps on the leaves. It is fought with fungicides.
  • Powdery mildew: it is a disease caused by a fungus that is characterized by the appearance of a whitish powder on the leaves. It is fought with fungicides.

Rusticity

Resists cold and frost down to -17ºC.

What uses is it given?

Ornamental

El Salix atrocinerea It is a tree that can be used as a garden plant, either as a solitary specimen or planted in groups or alignments. It gives very good shade and is not difficult to care for.

Other uses

It is used in basketry and to make bowls, jugs, glasses, cutlery, etc.

Have you heard of this tree?


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