A phytoremediation study targeting low-level total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) was conducted using cool- and warm-season grasses and willows (Salix species) grown in pots filled with contaminated sandy soil from the New Haven Rail Yard, CT. Efficiencies of the TPH degradation were assessed in a 90-day experiment using 20–8.7–16.6 N-P-K water-soluble fertilizer and fertilizer with molasses amendments to enhance phytoremediation. Plant biomass, TPH concentrations, and indigenous microbes quantified with colony-forming units (CFU), were assessed at the end of the study. Switchgrass grown with soil amendments produced the highest aboveground biomass. Bacterial CFU's were in orders of magnitude significantly higher in willows with soil amendments compared to vegetated treatments with no amendments. The greatest reduction in TPH occurred in all vegetated treatments with fertilizer (66–75%) and fertilizer/molasses (65–74%), followed sequentially by vegetated treatments without amendments, unvegetated treatments with amendments, and unvegetated treatments with no amendment. Phytoremediation of low-level TPH contamination was most efficient where fertilization was in combination with plant species. The same level of remediation was achievable through the addition of grasses and/or willow combinations without amendment, or by fertilization of sandy soil.

The long history of Salix L. cultivation has resulted in selections of cultivars with superior technical and ornamental characteristics. Numerous cultivars have been developed and named over the centuries, but until now, no comprehensive compilation of these records has ever been made. With the expanding domestication of the genus Salix and the active selection of new cultivars, it is increasingly important that we have clear and standardized records documenting the cultivars. In 2013, the International Poplar Commission of the Food and Agriculture Organization (IPC FAO) was appointed as the International Cultivar Registration Authority (ICRA) for willows. The Checklist for Cultivars of Salix was compiled as the first step toward the promotion of a standardized registration process and the establishment of a Cultivar Register for Salix . Eight hundred and fifty four cultivar epithets with accompanying information have been included in the Checklist. The largest group of cultivars—more than 200—is represented by basket selections. This is followed by selections for ornamental plantings and biofuel production. The Checklist aims to promote the uniformity and accuracy of cultivar names of Salix , and provides a baseline for new registrations to ensure that each newly developed cultivar receives a unique, authoritative botanical name.