About
Yellowish catkins appear before the leaves in spring; the male flowers with red anthers. A compact, low-growing, deciduous shrub, to 30cm tall, with slender, erect and spreading stems. The lanceolate to oblong bluish-green leaves emerge with silky hairs in spring and are closely-packed on the stems in very nearly opposite pairs.
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, Partial shade
Soil typeClay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Poorly-drained
AspectSouth-facing, North-facing, West-facing, East-facing
ExposureExposed, Sheltered
UK hardinessH5
Plant details
Plant typeShrubs
HabitBushy
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.1-0.5 metres
Spread1.5-2.5 metres
Time to full height5-10 years
Suggested usesRock garden, Wildlife gardens
Care notes
CultivationGrow in moist soils in full sun or part shade
PruningPruning group 1
PropagationPropagate by softwood cuttings in early summer or hardwood cuttings in winter
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to aphids, caterpillars, leaf beetles, sawflies, willow scale
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to willow anthracnose, scab, canker, honey fungus and rust