Salix alba

RHS Plant Profile

white willow

RHS

Other common names

Huntingdon willow, swallow-tailed willow

Trees

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A tree, up to 25m high, with dark grey furrowed bark. Its long, narrow pointed leaves, up to 10cm long, are dull green above, blue-green beneath, and silky, so that they appear silvery-white at a distance; catkins, 4-6cm long, appear with the leaves in spring

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

Higher than 12 metres

Max Spread

wider than 8 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 20–50 years
Max Spread: wider than 8 metres
Max Height: Higher than 12 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Poorly–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: North–facing or West–facing or East–facing or South–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H6

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Salicaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: Yes
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Spreading branched
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
Name Status: Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in full sun in moist or wet soil; avoid planting near buildings because its roots take up a lot of water from a wide area

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings in early summer or hardwood cuttings in winter; may also be propagated by large sets, up to 3.5m long and 2-3cm thick

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Wildlife gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Wildflower meadow
Architectural

Pruning

Pruning group 1

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, caterpillars, leaf beetles, sawflies, willow scale

Diseases

May be susceptible to willow anthracnose, scab, canker, honey fungus and rust