Dappled Willow

I recently visited my sister in Wisconsin. She lives just north of Milwaukee in a beautiful development where five houses share the view of one pond. Going to her house makes me feel like I am in the country. It is so quiet during the day and at night you can see thousands of stars in the sky. Quite a change for me, coming from a suburb of New York City!

A few years ago, she purchased some Dappled Willow trees (Salix integra) and planted them in her backyard (she lives in Zone 5). Seeing them now, after they have become fully established and matured, they are gorgeous!

Here, they create a beautiful hedge between her property and her neighbor's. I love how the graceful they are, each branch moving with the breeze as if they were dancing to some music only they could hear.

And I love how the sunlight shines through the leaves making them look like they are being lit up from the inside.

The foliage is beautiful all season long, beginning in the spring when the new foliage emerges pink and then matures to a variegated creamy white and green.

The tree in this photo is loving the full sun exposure spot near the pond. Some of the bottom limbs have been pruned away to give some shape to the tree, create a little bit of "air" and also allow some flowers to grow beneath it.

What a beauty!