Bareroot Salix alba (White Willow)

A majestic deciduous tree that thrives in damp environments, with slender, lance shaped leaves that shimmer silver in the breeze due to their silky white undersides. The young branches display an attractive olive green colour that gradually turns grey with age, while the bark develops deep fissures over time. Fast growing and adaptable, it forms a broad, spreading crown that makes an excellent windbreak or shade tree for waterside locations. The catkins that appear in spring provide early pollen for bees, and the flexible young stems can be used for basketry. Particularly suited to wet soils where few other large trees flourish, it stabilises riverbanks while creating valuable habitat for wildlife. A superb choice for challenging damp sites where its graceful form and practical benefits can be appreciated.

Family of Trees: Salicaceae

Habit: Deciduous Tree, Upright Spreading

Growth Rate: 60-100 cm/year

Optimal Temperature: 10-25°C, hardy to -40°C

Harmful if Eaten?: Non-toxic

Flowers or Berries: Catkins

Hardiness: H7 (Extremely Hardy)

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)