How to Plant Whips

Thank you to dedicated community leaders Deborah Sartour and Janice Balakshin from the Friends of Camp-Hope Sloughs for gathering this information to share.

Red-osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera)

Description:

Typically grows in swamps and along streams but will thrive in the garden. Produces small clusters of white flowers that give way to white “berries”. Red bark is attractive in winter.

Growing instructions:

  1. Place the shoot in water until roots form. You may need to change the water if it gets cloudy or green.
  2. Transplant into potting soil. Plant outdoors in early spring. Will reach a height of 6 meters but can be maintained at much smaller heights by pruning. Pruning also encourages new shoots which are often bright red.

This shoot is easy to grow into a shrub for your garden or near a stream or pond.

Willow species (Salix sp.)

Description:

Typically grows in wet places like the edge of standing water or along stream banks. Male catkins (flowers) appear before female catkins and usually before leaves. The flexible twigs are useful for weaving baskets and making ropes. Did you know aspirin came from salicylic acid, found under willow bark?

Growing instructions:

  1. Place the shoot in water until roots form. You may need to change the water if it gets cloudy or green.
  2. Transplant into potting soil. Plant outdoors in early spring. May reach a height of up to 12 meters but can be maintained at much smaller heights by pruning, which also encourages new shoot growth.

This shoot is easy to grow into a shrub for your garden or near a stream or pond.

Red-osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera)

Description:

Typically grows in swamps and along streams but will thrive in the garden. Produces small clusters of white flowers that give way to white “berries”. Red bark is attractive in winter.

Growing instructions:

  1. Place the shoot in water until roots form. You may need to change the water if it gets cloudy or green.
  2. Transplant into potting soil. Plant outdoors in early spring. Will reach a height of 6 meters but can be maintained at much smaller heights by pruning. Pruning also encourages new shoots which are often bright red.

This shoot is easy to grow into a shrub for your garden or near a stream or pond.

Willow species (Salix sp.)

Description:

Typically grows in wet places like the edge of standing water or along stream banks. Male catkins (flowers) appear before female catkins and usually before leaves. The flexible twigs are useful for weaving baskets and making ropes. Did you know aspirin came from salicylic acid, found under willow bark?

Growing instructions:

  1. Place the shoot in water until roots form. You may need to change the water if it gets cloudy or green.
  2. Transplant into potting soil. Plant outdoors in early spring. May reach a height of up to 12 meters but can be maintained at much smaller heights by pruning, which also encourages new shoot growth.

This shoot is easy to grow into a shrub for your garden or near a stream or pond.