Corkscrew Willow, Contorted Willow, Dragon's Claw Willow           SA-liks mat-su-DA-na

• Deciduous tree, 20-30 ft (6-9 m), oval rounded crown, contorted stems, "corkscrew" effect most evident after leaf fall.  Leaves alternate, 5-10 cm long, only slightly recurved. A female clone.
• Sun.  More drought tolerant than most willows.  Contortion increases with vigor so polarding enhances it, leaves conceal contorted branches, thus most effective in winter.   Fast growing, but a short life.
• Hardy to USDA Zone 4      The species is native to China, Korea.
• The cultivar 'Tortuosa' was introduced into North America in 1923 when Arnold Arboretum received a cutting from China, it was named the next year and entered commerce during the 1930s (Jacobson, 1996).  There are at least two other selections with a similar twisted habit,
  (a) Salix 'Golden Curls', with weeping, golden, twisted twigs, a hybrid of S. alba 'Tritis' and S. m. 'Tortuosa'.
  (b) Salix Scarlet Curls^®, it has golden twisted twig, scarlet in the winter, and curly leaves.  It may also be a hybrid with 'Tortuosa' as one of it parents.
• 'Tortuosa': Latin tortuosa means full of crooks or turns.
• Oregon State Univ. campus: south side of 11th St. Gate