Whispering Willow

This giant shrub grows up to 13 feet (4.0 meters) tall and lives for around 32 years. It is very resistant to destructive insect infestation but susceptible to disease.

It has many stocky, straight stems covered in very thick, wrinkled, black with white speckled bark, and the wood inside is yellow.

The branches are tall, rigid and upright with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with small amounts of large, fan-like, leaves with jagged edges. The leaves themselves are a shade of moss green that gradient shifts to peach at the top, delicate and waxy.

In mid-summer it produces thick bunches of large, pink blossoms with 9 circular shaped petals. They are hardy and have a delicate scent that smells like leather.

In midwinter small oval fruits ripen. The smooth brown skin is thick and sweet, and the crunchy lilac flesh is sour and juicy. The bronze seeds are large and are located in the centre of the fruit.