Clinging Willow

This big shrub grows up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall and lives for around 23 years. It is somewhat resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has dozens of stocky, wonky stems covered in hard, knobbly, dark gray bark, and the wood inside is yellow-brown.

The branches are very long, thin and wispy with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with copious amounts of giant, teardrop-shaped, leaves with toothed edges. The leaves themselves are found in azure, beige and olive varieties, delicate and fuzzy.

In early spring it produces balls of large, dark blue flowers with needle-like petals with a trumpet-shaped floral cup. They are sturdy and have an intense scent that smells like alcohol.