Salix alba var. vitellina 'Britzensis' (m)

RHS Plant Profile
coral bark willow

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coral bark willow RHS
coral bark willow RHS
coral bark willow RHS / Joanna Kossak
coral bark willow RHS 2003

Other common names

scarlet willow

Synonyms

Salix alba 'Britzensis', Salix alba 'Chermesina' hort. [1], Salix alba subsp. vitellina 'Britzensis'

RHS Recommended

Plants for pollinators
Trees
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A vigorous medium-sized deciduous tree of compact habit, with bright red young shoots and narrow lanceolate mid-green leaves and insignificant yellowish catkins with the young leaves in spring

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

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

Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
West–facing or East–facing or South–facing or North–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

RHS Recommended: for People & Planet

RHS Recommended Plants for People & Planet

For Water Resilience

Plants for Flood Resilience

Plants that can help manage heavy rain by catching rainfall, slowing surface run-off, encouraging water into the soil or taking it up through their roots, contributing to flood resilient gardens.

Plants for both Wet and Dry Conditions

Plants that cope with changing soil moisture, including wet winters and extended summer dry. Once established, they grow as wet and dry conditions alternate.

For Temperature Resilience

Plants for Temperature Cooling

Plants that cool air temperature by providing shade, transpiration, or reflection to reduce heat impact on people, animals, soil or other ground surface.

Plants for Wind Shelter

Plants with dense canopies often grown as a tall thick hedge or grouping can block wind and shelter gardens, buildings and people.

For Carbon Storage

Plants for Carbon Storage

Plants that can take up carbon (CO₂) through photosynthesis and store it within the plant or deposit it by their roots into the soil.

For Biodiversity

Plants for Pollinators

Plants that have flowering properties (pollen and/or nectar) that are particularly beneficial for pollinating insects such as bees, butterflies and hoverflies.

Growing conditions for maximum benefit

This plant will provide the maximum benefits if it is healthy and allowed to grow to maturity

For Bio-Diversity

  • Plants for Pollinators

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Salicaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy
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

An easy to grow fast-growing tree for sun or partial shade

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings in early summer or hardwood cuttings in winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Coastal
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Hedging and screens

Pruning

pruning group 1. Suitable for pollarding every 3-4 years and coppicing

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