Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name 

Salix alba

Other names

There are numerous races of White Willow and some widely 

planted varieties such as S.alba var. caerula (Cricket Bat Willow)

and S. Alba var. vitellina (Golden Willow)

Family

Salicaceae

Flowering season

Late April to May

English distribution

It is found throughout the country

For a map see the BSBI online atlas for: White Willow

Habitat

It is an archaeophyte which grows in wet habitats such as, by

rivers, streams and ponds, and in marshes, fens and other damp

areas such as ditches, water meadows and flooded wetland.

It and its varieties are also widely planted.

Description

White Willow is a large deciduous tree growing up to 33m.

It is dioecious with flowers in catkins which appear at the same 

time as the leaves.  The peduncles ob both are pubescent.

Male catkins are up to 5cm long and pale yellow. There are 

2 stamens and a scale per flower,  The scales and the base

of the filaments are pubescent. The filaments are white and

the anthers yellow.

Female catkins are up to 4cm and yellow/green. The ovary 

is ovoid to bottle-shaped, the style indistinct and the stigmas

2-lobed.

Fruits are capsules and the seeds are in fluff and spread by wind.

Seeds are relatively short-lived and require damp conditions to

germinate.

Leaves are narrow and lanceolate and up to 10cm. Young leaves

are at first silvery due to dense appressed hairs. The upper surfaces

lose this appearance later in gthe year and arfe green. The lea

f edges are minutely toothed.

Twigs are a shny olive brown but colours vary amon gst cultivars

and hybrids.

THe bark id deeply fissured and grey brown.