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Salix alba 'Flame'
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

white willow 'Flame'

A dense, deciduous, oval-shaped tree to around 6m in height, which is usually cut back as a shrub. It has long-lasting yellow foliage and bright vibrant red-orange stems which curl inwards and provide fiery colour throughout the winter

Synonyms
Salix alba 'Chermesina Flame'
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Size
Ultimate height
4–8 metres
Time to ultimate height
20–50 years
Ultimate spread
2.5–4 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Yellow
Summer Yellow
Autumn Red Orange Yellow
Winter Red Orange
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness
H6
Botanical details
Family
Salicaceae
Native to GB / Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy, 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

Accepted

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
  • Architectural
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Coastal
Pruning

Pruning group 1

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, caterpillars, gall mites, flea beetles, sawfly larvae, and willow scale

Diseases

May be susceptible to willow anthracnose, watermark disease, willow heart rot, rust diseases, crown gall, honey fungus, root rot, silver leaf, and tar spot

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