Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki'

Salix integra ‘Hakuro Nishiki’: Pink-Splashed Foliage, Winter-Red Stems

Beloved for its fresh spring colour, Salix integra ‘Hakuro Nishiki’ emerges with pink new growth that quickly settles into a lively mix of pink, creamy white, and green. The overall effect is bright and airy, adding a soft, painterly highlight to shrubs and perennials in sun to part shade. Even after leaf drop, showy red stems bring a welcome lift to the winter garden, while the gray-green bark on older trunks adds subtle texture. Flowers are insignificant, but the foliage display more than makes up for it.

Plant Characteristics:

• Height: 120–180 cm
• Spread: 150–210 cm
• Flower Colour: Insignificant
• Flowering Period: Spring
• Foliage: New foliage emerges pink, maturing to variegated pink, creamy white, and green
• Sunlight Requirements: Full sun to part shade
• Soil Requirements: Moist, well-drained soil; adaptable and tolerant of periodic moisture

Uses and Benefits: An excellent choice for brightening shrub borders, modern landscapes, and mixed foundation plantings, ‘Hakuro Nishiki’ adds colour where flowers are not always reliable. Use it as a focal shrub, repeat it to echo its creamy highlights through a planting, or place it near patios and entrances where the pink spring flush can be enjoyed up close. The red winter stems extend seasonal interest and help keep landscapes looking lively after frost.

Care Instructions: Plant in full sun for the strongest pink and crispest variegation, with part shade acceptable in hotter sites. Water regularly during establishment, then provide extra moisture during dry spells for best leaf quality. Prune in late winter or early spring to encourage vigorous new growth and a fuller habit, since the brightest colour appears on fresh shoots. Remove any all-green shoots promptly to maintain the variegated look.

History: Salix integra is a willow species native to eastern Asia, grown widely for its adaptable nature and decorative foliage. ‘Hakuro Nishiki’ became a garden staple because it offers an easy, high-impact foliage show in spring and summer, with stem colour that carries the plant’s appeal into the winter season.

Final Thoughts: If you want a shrub that reads as fresh and luminous from the first pink flush of spring through winter’s red stems, ‘Hakuro Nishiki’ brings long-season colour in a clean, landscape-friendly form.