About
Short, narrow, brown catkins appear in spring before the leaves. A rounded, fast-growing, large shrub or small tree to 6m, with long, glossy, red-brown branches and drooping branchlets. Leaves are oblong, rounded and almost stalkless, tinged orange-pink when young, then lime green, with bluish-green undersides.
About the genus
Salix are deciduous shrubs and trees of diverse habit, with simple leaves and tiny flowers in catkins, male and female usually on separate plants. Some are valued for their brightly coloured winter shoots, others for their foliage or showy male catkins
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeClay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing
ExposureExposed, Sheltered
UK hardinessH5
Plant details
Plant typeShrubs, Trees
HabitBushy
FoliageDeciduous
Height4-8 metres
Spread4-8 metres
Time to full height5-10 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
Native toJapan & Korea
Care notes
CultivationGrow in deep, fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun
PruningPruning group 1
PropagationPropagate by softwood or hardwood cuttings
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to aphids, caterpillars, leaf beetles and sawflies
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to willow anthracnose, a rust and a canker