YOU WILL RECEIVE 100 THIN CUTTINGS PENCIL SIZE OR SMALLER 12 INCH LONG CUT FRESH SAME DAY AS SHIPPING 

Common name: osier, common osier, basket willow

Scientific name: Salix viminalis

Family: Salicaceae

UK provenance: native

Interesting fact: more than 60 different kinds of osier hybrids and cultivated varieties are grown in Britain for the basket-making industry.

What does osier look like?Overview: mature trees grow to 7m. The bark is greyish brown with vertical cracks. Twigs are smooth and yellow-green.

Leaves: the leaves are very long and thin (20cm by 1cm), glossy and dark green with a felt-like covering of silvery hairs beneath. 

Flowers: the osier is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are found on separate plants. Flowers are greenish catkins, which appear in late-winter to early spring before the leaves. Male catkins are yellow. 

Fruits: once pollinated, the greenish female catkins develop fruit capsules, which split open when mature to release tiny seeds.

Look out for: the edges of the very narrow leaves often appear to be rolled inwards. Catkins appear before the leaves.

Could be confused with: other willow species which all freely hybridise.

Identified in winter by: the green sparsely hairy narrow buds are pressed close to the twig.

Where to find osierIt is often found growing in wet or damp situations, such as beside rivers and streams. 

Value to wildlifeCaterpillars of a number of moth species feed on the foliage, including the lackey, herald and red-tipped clearwing. The catkins provide an important source of early nectar and pollen for bees and other insects, and the branches make good nesting and roosting sites for birds.

How we use osierOsier withies (strong, flexible willow stems) are traditionally used for basket-making and weaving, and are becoming increasingly popular for use as willow screens and sculptures. Osier, like all willows, is also grown for its ability to absorb heavy metals, and is often planted to 'clean up' contaminated waste ground.

Sorry I can't send to Ireland due to CustomsUK Mainland only