The Cool Refreshing
WEEPING WILLOW Bonsai Care & Styling
By Hideo Kato Translated By Craig W. Risser
T here is probably little time or space for feelings like this in today’s hectic
world. Nonetheless, the image of the Weeping willow bending with the river breeze is something that lives in the hearts of people as an image of summer. A Willow branch with a swallow perched on it drooping over the water is an image often seen in advertisements trying to promote some product that coolly refreshes one from the heat of summer. That is because there is an association between “Willows” and “coolness” deeply rooted in the consciousness of the Japanese people for sumertime appreciation. There are many species of willow and when you simply say “Willow” it usually refers to Weeping willow, Salix babylonica. In the world of bonsai as well, Willow bonsai generally denotes bonsai that have been developed with Weeping willow. The cultivar ‘Rokkakudo’ is representative of the Weeping willow used for training bonsai. I raise many types of Weeping willows as well as the ‘Rokkakudo’ Weeping willow and dwarf varieties. In this article I would like to discuss the care and styling of the weeping willow. Hopefully, you will want to train a Willow as a bonsai evoking coolness. 12 INTERNATIONAL BONSAI 2021/NO. 4
The Progress Of Willow Bonsai In the old days there were some pretty good Weeping willow bonsai. That is probably because bonsai were different in those days. There was a certain luxury in interpreting taste and refinement and Weeping willow was a popular floral pattern of the season. A Weeping willow would grace a water basin with a miniature grass planted at the base and this would be a way of enjoying summer. Nowadays, when we think of summer we tend to think of the bother of watering and fertilizing and the summer doldrums in bonsai display, since is not a popular display period. However, when we have come this far with bonsai, we in the world of bonsai need to be able to relax enough to appreciate the pleasures of the season. In addition, bonsai is now not just something Japanese but has become international. In this sense, Willow are the most suitable species for expressing the coolness desired in the summer. The cultivar ‘Rokkakudo’ with its dwarf characteristics is suitable for both medium size and miniature bonsai. The chief Weeping willow used for bonsai training is the Rokkakudo willow, Salix babylonica ‘Rokkakudo’. While the branches of common Weeping willow droop, if the
umbrella canopy of the branches hang down too much it is not good. Rokkakudo Weeping willow is the best for producing height while giving character to the pendulous branches. I have a variety of this Weeping willow that has dwarf characteristics. The leaves are smaller than the usual variety and the small branches have a strong reddish cast. It is like a dwarf or “yatsubusa” cultivar. It is attractive even when grown small. There are other Willow varieties that can be used for either medium or large size bonsai as well. We have had a specimen tree that has these dwarf characteristics since I was a child. I remember my father, Tomekichi Kato, saying “Take good care of this one.” I do not know the exact origin of this specimen but I think it is a natural sport from ‘Rakkakudo’ Weeping willow. Since it was a sport that was good for use as bonsai, my father who discovered it took good care of it as a specimen. There may be some others that exist that are similar to it but I have not seen them. I have not taken any great pains to care for this Weeping willow with dwarf characteristics and have just somehow kept it going and fortunately managed to plant it in the garden. If I had kept it in a container it probably
