Salix purpurea ‘Nancy Saunders’

An ornamental form of a vigorous native willow, the Purple Osier, with very narrow, particularly blue-green leaves set against glossy red slender stems. The stems make a fine contrast in summer but are highly attractive in winter, especially if coppiced each spring before growth commences. This makes a very small bushy round headed tree to about 4m tall, or a dense shrub to about 2m each year if coppiced. Tough and tolerant, both in normal soils or moist to wet.