Q.We bought a standard tree a couple of years ago and have lost the label and we need to prune it.
It has a light pink flower on in the spring and it is light and feathery and shaped like an umbrella. Anyone know what it might be?
The tricolor dappled willow, or Salix integra ‘Hakuro Nishiki,’ is also called the Japanese variegated willow.
Prune the tricolor dappled willow in early spring or late fall to maintain the most colorful leaves. Prune in midsummer if you want to keep it smaller than its natural height of up to 20 feet.
Shear the tricolor dappled willow sparingly to promote new growth. Prune small stems at evenly distributed locations throughout the plant about 1/8- to 3/8-inch above a leaf bud with a cut that slants away from the bud. Multiple stems will sprout at these cuts, so keep in mind the overall shape of the willow when selecting stems to prune.
Never prune more than a third of an entire tree or shrub at any given time or it may die.
