| General Description | Deciduous large broad rounded shrub/small tree possessing glabrous, green lanceolate simple leaves with silvery green undersides. Leaves may or may not display a yellow colour in autumn. Showy, silvery-grey catkins with yellow anthers develop in the early spring. ‘Sekka’ is a male clone and so does not produce fruits. Flat Stems are reddish purple in the sunlight and glabrous. |
| ID Characteristic | Banded stems which are glabrous. Simple, glabrous, lanceolate leaves are arranged in an alternating pattern. Male plant produces grey catkins in early spring that turn yellowish as they mature. |
| Shape | Broad rounded shrub. |
| Landscape | Japanese Fantail Willows are used in informal and Bog Gardens, and as Stem cuttings for floral arrangements. The shrub is good for hedging, use as windbreaks or for erosion control. Showy catkins and oddly flattened and curved twigs make S. udensis a favourite for cuttings and bouquets. S. udensis also served as a food source for several species of bee in the genus Andrena. |
| Propagation | Japanese fantail willows are best propagated by grafting and stem cuttings. Seeds will also germinate 12-24 hours after falling on wet sand. Newly developed plants have been known to require 3-4 years before developing the stem fasciation. |