White willow

Sun

Full sun; tolerates light partial shade.

Water

High; prefers consistently moist or wet ground and tolerates seasonal flooding. Water young trees deeply during dry spells.

Soil

Moisture-retentive loam, clay or alluvial soil; tolerates poor drainage and a broad range of soil pH.

Height

50-80 ft (15-24 m)

Spread

40-60 ft (12-18 m)

Flowers

Spring, with the emerging leaves; yellow male catkins or greenish female catkins on separate trees.

Foliage

Narrow, finely toothed green leaves with silky white hairs, especially underneath; usually turns yellow before falling.

Growth

Fast, often 3-6 ft (0.9-1.8 m) a year when young on moist ground.

Care needed

High

• Pollinators
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   8 ft (2.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   12 ft (3.7 m)

3. After 2 years

   16 ft (5 m)

4. After 3 years

   21 ft (6.3 m)

5. After 5 years

   29 ft (8.9 m)

About 13 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Invasive in

the US, Canada and Australia

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Fast

• Plant only where the mature crown and extensive roots have ample room, well away from buildings, drains, septic systems and paving.
• Water deeply through dry weather during the first two growing seasons; do not let the root ball dry out.
• Apply a 2-3 in (5-8 cm) layer of organic mulch over the root area, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Do not routinely feed established trees; excessive nitrogen encourages weak, rapid growth.
• Stake only if the root ball moves in wind, and remove supports once the tree is firmly rooted.
• Have a qualified arborist inspect large trees for weak forks, decay and storm damage.

Pruning. Prune young trees in late winter to develop a sound framework, removing damaged branches and poorly attached competing stems. Pollarding must begin while the tree is young and continue on a regular cycle; do not top a mature, previously unpollarded tree.

Autumn

Plant container-grown trees while the soil is moist, allowing ample space for mature roots and branches.

Winter

Plant bare-root trees while dormant, provided the ground is neither frozen nor waterlogged.

Late winter

Carry out formative pruning or scheduled pollard work before growth resumes.

Spring

Refresh mulch and check leaves and young shoots for aphids, rust or dieback.

Summer

Water young trees deeply during dry spells and check that ties are not cutting into the bark.

Autumn

Clear fallen leaves from paths, drains and small ponds; inspect the crown after strong winds.

• A shade tree in a large, damp lawn, positioned away from buildings and frequently used seating areas.
• A waterside specimen on a large property where it is locally appropriate and cannot spread into sensitive waterways.
• A traditionally managed pollard for repeated winter structure in an estate or rural landscape.
• A silvery foliage backdrop to moisture-loving grasses and perennials at the sunny edge of its canopy.

Garden styles it suits: Grand estate, English country, Modern rustic, Wildlife garden, Bog garden and Winter interest.

Plant it with: Tufted hair grass, Purple moor grass, Meadowsweet, Marsh marigold, Siberian iris and Royal fern.

Wildlife: Spring catkins provide pollen or nectar for insects, and the foliage feeds numerous moth and butterfly larvae. Older trees can develop cavities used by birds and bats; these benefits do not outweigh invasive impacts where the tree is non-native and spreading.

• Brittle limbs and weak forks can break in wind: train young trees carefully and have hazardous mature branches assessed by an arborist.
• Roots can exploit leaking drains and lift nearby paving: choose a generous planting site and repair leaking pipes rather than repeatedly cutting major roots.
• Willow anthracnose and shoot blight can blacken leaves and kill young shoots: collect fallen debris and prune affected small branches in dry weather.
• Aphids and willow leaf beetles can damage foliage: tolerate light infestations, encourage predators and use a strong water spray on reachable aphid colonies.

Not generally regarded as a poisonous garden tree for people, cats, dogs or horses. Bark and leaves contain salicylates, so substantial ingestion or homemade medicinal preparations can cause adverse effects, particularly in cats; discourage chewing and seek veterinary advice after significant ingestion.

Where it spreads. Spreads along waterways by seed and rooting broken branches. White willow is invasive in parts of southeastern Australia, including New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, and is covered by Australian willow-control programs and regional restrictions. It is also introduced and locally invasive in parts of the northeastern and midwestern United States and southern Canada, including Ontario;

• Crack willow (Salix fragilis)

  Typically has broader, less silky leaves with greener undersides and twigs that snap readily at their bases. Hybrids with white willow are common and can be difficult to identify.

• Weeping willow (Salix babylonica)

  Has strongly drooping branchlets and leaves that are usually less silvery underneath; many cultivated weeping willows are hybrids rather than this species.

• Common osier (Salix viminalis)

  Usually forms a large shrub or small tree with long, upright rods and much narrower leaves whose margins often roll under.

The species name alba means white, referring to the pale, silky leaf undersides that also give white willow its common name.

Propagation. Root hardwood cuttings taken during dormancy in moist soil, using healthy young shoots. Cuttings root readily; do not propagate or distribute it where local restrictions apply.

Accepted botanical name

Salix alba

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Altay, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Central European Rus, China North-Central and Corse.

Measured

Average height 1750 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.