Curly willow (Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’, also listed as Salix babylonica var. pekinensis ‘Tortuosa’) is one of the most visually arresting trees you can grow, producing dramatically twisted, contorted branches and stems that spiral and curl in every direction with an organic, almost calligraphic quality that commands attention in every season. In spring and summer, those extraordinary branches are draped in narrow, lance-shaped leaves that flutter and shimmer in the slightest breeze, creating a soft, airy canopy with a distinctly weeping character. But it’s in winter, when the leaves have dropped and the full architecture of the plant is revealed against a cold sky or a backdrop of snow, that curly willow is at its most spectacular. The spiraling, contorted branch structure looks like something sculpted rather than grown, and it brings a level of sculptural drama to the winter landscape that almost no other deciduous tree can match. As a cut branch for floral arrangements and indoor decoration, curly willow is among the most prized materials in the floral design world, and a single established tree provides an essentially unlimited supply of those striking twisted stems year after year.

Hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8, curly willow is a deciduous tree that grows with the characteristic speed of the willow genus, adding several feet of new growth per year under good conditions and reaching a mature height of 25 to 40 feet tall and 15 to 30 feet wide relatively quickly. Most gardeners, however, keep it considerably more compact through regular pruning, particularly if the primary goal is harvesting branches for cutting or maintaining the plant as a large shrub rather than allowing it to develop into a full-sized tree. The twisted character of the branches is present throughout the plant’s life, from the finest twigs to the largest main scaffold branches on mature specimens, and it becomes more pronounced and complex with age as the older wood develops deeper spiraling and more elaborate contortion. The bark on young stems is an attractive olive-green to yellowish-green through winter, adding warm color to the branch display when the leaves are absent, while older bark becomes gray and more deeply furrowed with character.

Full sun is essential for the most vigorous growth and the most structurally impressive branching. Curly willow in partial shade grows more slowly and produces less dramatic branch development than plants in full sun, though it remains healthy and attractive in situations with four to six hours of direct light. It’s one of the most moisture-tolerant trees available, thriving in consistently wet soils, along stream banks, at pond margins, and in low areas where periodic flooding would stress or kill most other trees. This affinity for moisture reflects its willow heritage, and it’s an outstanding choice for difficult wet sites where other ornamental trees struggle or fail. That said, it also adapts to average garden soils with normal moisture levels, making it more versatile than its reputation as a water-loving tree might suggest. It prefers a slightly acidic to neutral soil pH of 6.0 to 7.0 but tolerates a broader range without serious difficulty. Curly willow is considered moderately deer resistant, as deer tend to avoid willows, though hungry deer in areas of intense pressure may browse on young growth in spring.

In the landscape, curly willow earns its place as a specimen tree where its extraordinary branch architecture can be appreciated from multiple angles and in multiple seasons. It’s outstanding near water features, ponds, and streams, where reflections in still water create a doubled image of the contorted branches that’s genuinely breathtaking on a calm day. It works beautifully as a focal point in a large lawn or open area, as an anchor for a mixed border or shrub planting, or as a screening plant along a property boundary where its rapid growth provides privacy within a few seasons. In smaller gardens where the full tree size isn’t appropriate, regular hard pruning keeps it as a large, multi-stemmed shrub that contributes the same dramatic branch display in a more manageable form. Its branches are among the most sought-after materials for floral arrangements, wreaths, and indoor winter decoration, and growing your own provides an abundant, free supply of one of the most commercially expensive floral design materials available.

Planting curly willow

Plant curly willow in spring or fall, choosing a location with full sun and adequate space for its mature size or a plan for the regular pruning that keeps it within tighter bounds. Because it grows rapidly, siting it correctly from the outset prevents future conflicts with structures, underground utilities, and neighboring plants. The roots of willow trees are notably aggressive in seeking moisture and can infiltrate underground pipes, septic systems, and drainage infrastructure over time, so maintaining a distance of at least 50 feet from any underground utilities, septic systems, or drainage pipes is an important practical consideration.

Dig a hole two to three times as wide as the root ball and the same depth, backfilling with the native soil rather than a heavily amended mixture to encourage the roots to extend into the surrounding ground quickly. Set the crown at the same level it was growing in the nursery container. Curly willow isn’t particular about soil preparation and establishes readily in most conditions, but incorporating compost into the backfill improves establishment in very sandy or very clayey soils. Water thoroughly at planting and apply a generous mulch layer over the root zone immediately. Keep the soil consistently moist through the first growing season, which is rarely a challenge given that most gardeners choose moist sites for this plant. In average garden soil without a reliably wet water table, consistent supplemental irrigation through the first season ensures the rapid establishment that curly willow is capable of when its moisture needs are met.

Watering

Curly willow is one of the most moisture-tolerant and moisture-hungry trees in common cultivation, and generous water is one of the most important factors in producing the rapid, vigorous growth that creates the dramatic branch architecture the plant is celebrated for. In its preferred conditions alongside water features, in rain gardens, or in low-lying areas with a consistently moist water table, it needs no supplemental irrigation at all once established. In average garden soil, watering deeply and regularly through the growing season produces significantly more vigorous growth than relying on natural rainfall alone in most climates.

In very dry summers or in climates with a pronounced dry season, consistent supplemental irrigation through the driest months maintains the tree’s vigor and prevents the leaf scorch and premature leaf drop that drought stress causes. Established curly willows have some drought tolerance once their root systems are well developed, but they perform noticeably better with consistent moisture than without it. Overwatering is virtually impossible in the ground, as this tree handles standing water and saturated soil with equanimity. Container-grown specimens are the exception, as the confined root system in a pot can develop rot in consistently waterlogged, poorly aerated conditions, so ensuring free drainage from the container is important even for a moisture-loving plant.

Fertilizing

Curly willow is a vigorous, fast-growing tree that benefits from annual fertilization to support its rapid growth rate and maintain the healthy, productive stems that are its primary ornamental and practical contribution. In early spring as new growth begins, apply a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer at the rate recommended on the product label for the size of your tree, or broadcast a generous topdressing of compost over the root zone extending out to the drip line of the canopy. In fertile, organically rich soil, the compost topdressing alone may be sufficient to sustain healthy growth without additional granular fertilizer. Avoid fertilizing after midsummer, as stimulating vigorous new growth heading into fall produces soft tissue that’s more susceptible to early frost damage. Container-grown plants benefit from regular liquid fertilizer applications every three to four weeks through the growing season, as nutrients leach from pots with frequent watering.

Pruning

Pruning curly willow is both a practical management requirement and, if you’re harvesting branches for cutting and decoration, one of the most rewarding tasks in the garden. The plant tolerates pruning with remarkable grace, responding to even very hard cutting with vigorous regrowth that produces exactly the kind of young, flexible, tightly contorted new stems that are most valued for floral use. Understanding how you want to use the plant determines the most appropriate pruning approach.

For a full-sized specimen tree, pruning is mainly about maintaining good structure, removing dead and damaged wood, and preventing the tree from becoming so large that it poses a risk to structures or other plants. Prune in late winter or early spring while the tree is still dormant, removing any dead, crossing, or structurally problematic branches and thinning out any excessively congested sections of the canopy. Because curly willow grows so vigorously, annual pruning to manage its size and shape is more effective than allowing it to grow unchecked for several years and then attempting a dramatic renovation.

For cutting branch production, regular hard pruning, sometimes called coppicing or pollarding depending on the technique, produces the most abundant supply of the young, flexible, tightly twisted stems that are most attractive and useful. Coppicing, which involves cutting the entire plant back to near ground level in late winter, produces a flush of vigorous new stems each season that reach 4 to 8 feet or more by fall. Pollarding, which involves cutting back to a set of permanent scaffold branches or a main trunk at a fixed height, achieves the same result with the new growth emerging from those established cut points. Both approaches produce stems with particularly tight spiraling and attractive olive-green bark color, and the annual harvesting of those stems is what keeps the plant at a manageable size without sacrificing its ornamental contribution.

Harvesting branches for cutting

Curly willow branches are among the most versatile and beautiful materials in floral design and home decoration, and harvesting them correctly ensures the longest possible vase or display life. The best time to cut branches for use in arrangements is in late winter or early spring, just as the buds are beginning to swell but before the leaves have fully emerged, when the contorted architecture of the stems is most visible and dramatic. Branches cut at this stage hold their form beautifully in water and often develop pussy willow-like catkins that add an additional decorative dimension to the display.

For the longest vase life, cut branches with sharp, clean pruners or loppers at an angle that maximizes the surface area for water uptake, and immediately place the cut ends in a bucket of water before bringing them indoors. Recut the stems at an angle and split or crush the bottom few inches of the cut end with a hammer or the back of your pruners before placing them in a vase, as the woody stems take up water more readily when the cut surface is maximized. Change the vase water every few days and keep arrangements away from direct heat sources and direct sunlight, which accelerate water loss. In water, curly willow branches last two to four weeks with good care.

For dried arrangements and wreaths, cut branches when they’re still young and flexible enough to bend and shape without snapping, typically in late winter or early spring. Curled and shaped immediately after cutting while the stems are still slightly pliable, then allowed to dry in place, they hold whatever form they’re given and last for many months or longer in dried arrangements out of direct sunlight.

Propagation

Curly willow is one of the easiest woody plants to propagate, and starting new plants from cuttings costs nothing beyond the time and a small amount of preparation. Stem cuttings taken in late winter or early spring, before leaf emergence, root with remarkable speed and reliability, making it possible to produce as many new plants as you want from a single established specimen. Take cuttings 8 to 12 inches long from healthy one-year-old stems, cut cleanly just below a node at the base and just above a node at the top, and push them directly into moist garden soil or a container of potting mix with the lower half submerged. Keep the cuttings consistently moist and in a bright location, and roots typically develop within two to three weeks. Cuttings placed in a glass of water indoors also root readily, at which point they can be potted up or planted directly in the garden.

Because willow cuttings contain natural rooting hormones, they root so readily that they don’t require any commercial rooting hormone treatment. This abundance of natural rooting compounds is actually the basis of the traditional practice of using willow water, a dilute infusion made from willow stems soaked in water, to encourage rooting in other, less easily propagated plants.

Managing size and invasive roots

The two most important management considerations with curly willow are its ultimate size and the aggressive nature of its root system. Both require proactive thinking rather than reactive management, and both are much easier to address before the plant is established than after.

Size management through regular pruning, particularly the annual coppicing or pollarding approach described above, keeps the tree at whatever scale suits your garden without sacrificing its ornamental contribution. An annually coppiced curly willow produces new growth each season that provides the same dramatic visual impact as a full-sized specimen tree while remaining at the height of a large shrub, which is a genuinely practical solution for smaller gardens where the full tree size would be problematic.

Root management requires more forethought, as the roots of an established tree can’t be retroactively contained once they’ve spread. Maintaining the distances from underground infrastructure described in the planting section is the most important preventive measure. In smaller gardens where providing adequate clearance from pipes and other buried infrastructure isn’t possible, growing curly willow in a large, sturdy container prevents root spread entirely and is a practical solution that also makes the plant portable. Container-grown curly willows need regular pruning to prevent them from becoming top-heavy, consistent watering since containers dry out faster than the ground, and repotting every few years as the root system fills the container.

Pests and diseases

Curly willow is a generally vigorous and resilient tree, but several pest and disease problems are worth being aware of and monitoring for. Willow scab and black canker are fungal diseases that can cause defoliation, dieback, and dark cankers on the stems in wet spring conditions, and a combination of the two, sometimes called willow blight, can be particularly damaging in cool, rainy years. Removing and destroying affected growth, improving air circulation through pruning, and avoiding overhead irrigation helps manage these diseases. Copper-based fungicides applied preventively at bud break and during wet spring weather can reduce infection rates in years when conditions are particularly favorable for disease development.

Gypsy moth and various caterpillar species occasionally defoliate willow trees in summer, and established trees typically recover from a single defoliation without lasting damage, pushing a second flush of growth once the pest population declines. Willow leaf beetles and willow aphids can also cause significant foliage damage in some years, and both are managed effectively with neem oil or insecticidal soap when populations are building. Cytospora canker, a fungal disease that causes sunken, discolored areas on the bark and dieback of individual branches, is most problematic on stressed or drought-stressed plants, and maintaining adequate moisture and good overall plant health is the best preventive measure. Crown gall can occasionally affect willow, causing rough, irregular galls at the base of the trunk and on the roots, and is best addressed by removing severely affected plants and improving drainage in the replanting area.

Winter care

Curly willow is cold hardy through zone 4 and needs no special winter preparation in most of its hardiness range. The deciduous habit means the plant naturally drops its leaves and enters dormancy as temperatures drop in fall, and it’s in this leafless state that its most remarkable quality, the full display of the contorted branch architecture, is most visible and most dramatic. The bare winter branches against a cold, clear sky or a backdrop of snow are one of the finest ornamental displays any deciduous tree produces, and the transition from leafy summer tree to sculptural winter silhouette is one of the most rewarding seasonal changes the garden offers. No cutting back or protection is needed in fall, though completing any significant pruning before the growing season ends in late summer ensures that the wounds have time to callous before winter.

Frequently asked questions

How fast does curly willow grow? Curly willow grows very quickly, typically adding 3 to 8 feet of new growth per year under good conditions with adequate moisture. On annually coppiced plants, the new stems produced each season can reach 6 to 10 feet or more by fall. This rapid growth is one of the plant’s most practically useful qualities but also the primary reason that regular pruning and thoughtful siting are important.

Can I grow curly willow near my house? Curly willow should be planted at least 50 feet from any structures with foundations and from underground utilities, septic systems, and drainage pipes, as the aggressive root system can infiltrate and damage these systems over time. Its size at maturity also means it needs adequate clearance from structures to prevent branch drop damage in storms. For smaller properties where these clearances aren’t achievable, container growing or regular hard pruning to keep the plant at shrub scale are practical alternatives.

Will curly willow branches root in a vase? Yes, curly willow branches placed in water for floral arrangements very often develop roots within a few weeks, particularly if cut in late winter when the natural rooting hormones in the stems are most concentrated. If you want to propagate from cut branches, simply allow the rooted stems to continue in water until the root system is substantial enough to support planting out, then pot them up or plant them directly in the garden.

How do I get the tightest, most dramatic curls on cut branches? The tightest spiraling is found on young, first-year stems produced from hard-pruned, coppiced, or pollarded plants rather than on older growth from established tree branches. Cutting the plant back hard each year in late winter produces a flush of vigorous new stems with particularly tight contortion and attractive olive-green bark. Harvesting these new stems in their first winter, before they’ve aged and the spiraling has relaxed slightly, gives you the most dramatic material for arrangements.

Is curly willow the same as weeping willow? No, they’re related but distinct plants. Weeping willow (Salix babylonica or Salix alba ‘Tristis’) has long, pendulous, straight branches that sweep dramatically to the ground, while curly willow produces spiraling, contorted branches with a more upright habit. Both are fast-growing, moisture-loving willows, but their ornamental characters are quite different. Curly willow is valued specifically for its twisted branch architecture, while weeping willow is grown for its graceful, cascading form.

Why are the leaves on my curly willow turning yellow and dropping in summer? Summer leaf drop in curly willow is most commonly caused by drought stress, as the tree’s high moisture demand isn’t being met during dry periods. Ensuring consistent, generous watering through dry spells typically resolves the problem. Fungal diseases including willow scab can also cause summer defoliation, particularly in wet springs followed by dry summers. Established trees recover from summer defoliation without lasting damage, but addressing the underlying cause prevents the stress that makes the plant more vulnerable to disease and pest problems.

Can curly willow be grown in a container? Yes, container growing is a practical option for gardeners who want to enjoy curly willow without the root management concerns of in-ground planting. Choose the largest, sturdiest container practical, use a moisture-retentive potting mix, water very consistently since the plant’s high moisture demand makes containers dry out quickly, and prune annually to keep the top growth proportional to the root system in the container. Repot every two to three years as the root system fills the pot.

Does curly willow produce flowers? Yes, curly willow produces catkins in early spring before the leaves emerge, similar to other willows. The catkins are small, fuzzy, and yellow-green, adding a subtle ornamental note to the late-winter branch display. They’re not the showiest flowers in the garden, but they’re a welcome very early pollen source for emerging bees, and on cut branches brought indoors in late winter they develop their catkins in the warmth of the house, adding an additional decorative element to the arrangement.