About
A small tree or large shrub, to 5m tall, with narrow, twisted pale green leaves and yellow catkins in spring. Its pendulous, orange-yellow juvenile shoots are twisted and contorted and mature to a dark brown colour.
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, Poorly-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing, East-facing
ExposureExposed, Sheltered
UK hardinessH5
Plant details
Plant typeShrubs, Trees
HabitBushy
FoliageDeciduous
Height4-8 metres
Spread2.5-4 metres
Time to full height10-20 years
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Architectural, Cottage and informal garden
Care notes
CultivationGrow in full sun in moist or wet soil
PruningPruning group 1 or Pruning group 7 to encourage new brightly coloured shoot formation
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