Prairie willow (Salix humilis) is a naturally compact and adaptable shrub willow native to the eastern United States. This taxon has potential for use in managed landscapes because of its desirable habit, attractive flowers and foliage, and its purported tolerance to fluctuations in soil moisture. This adaptability could be advantageous for urban green infrastructure applications. However, unlike most willows, S. humilis is thought to exhibit recalcitrance to standard asexual propagation techniques. This recalcitrance is exacerbated by observed susceptibility to fungal infections that cause cutting mortality during propagation. Because juvenility can improve the rooting of propagules, we questioned whether stock plant rejuvenation (coppicing) and propagule treatment with fungicide would influence rooting and survival of S. humilis dormant hardwood cuttings. In February 2024, 300 full-length dormant stems were harvested at the USDA Plant Introduction Station in Ames, Iowa from stock plants that were either coppiced or not coppiced the previous year. Uniformly-sized basal cuttings were acquired by removing the proximal 23 cm of each stem. Experimental trials (N=300; n=75) evaluating the full factorial of stock plant status [non-coppiced (-coppice) or coppiced ( coppice)] and fungicide application [non-treated (-fungicide) or treated ( fungicide) by submerging propagules in T-Bird with 46.2% Thiophanate-methyl for 15 minutes] were conducted in a cool greenhouse at the University of Minnesota Horticultural Research Center in Chaska, MN. All cuttings were treated with 0.8% indole-3-butyric acid via Hormodin-3 Talc powder and stuck in 50 cell trays (5 × 5 × 12.5 cm cells) with a 1:1 perlite:bark-based media and placed on heat mats (22ºC) using a completely randomized design. Total number of propagules rooted, length of the longest three roots, and number of roots were recorded. Propagules were ranked on their overall rooting performance using a Likert Scale. Rooting percentage was 77%, 56%, 87%, and 69% for coppice/ fungicide, coppice/-fungicide, -coppice/ fungicide, and -coppice/-fungicide, respectively. Compared to the non-coppiced propagules, mean count of roots decreased by 41% for coppiced propagules, across fungicide applications. Compared to propagules not treated with fungicide, mean count of roots increased by 19% for propagules treated with fungicide, across coppice treatments. Future research will evaluate different types of cuttings to generate a complete vegetative propagation protocol for Salix humilis. This work supports the introduction of this versatile plant into commercial production, thereby augmenting the ornamental plant palette for challenging urban landscapes.
