Sallow bronze

The window box nature reserve is just about at its best with all plants looking healthy and bright.  It has never had fertiliser, but everything seems full of vigour.

The sallows that were coppiced, as usual, last autumn are now sprouting well and the leaves on the tips of the shoots are flushed bronze and often backed with white down.

Maybe the brown is due to tannins and discourages insect attack on the new young shoots.  The white down might have to same effect.  Both will disappear quite quickly leaving the leaves plain green.