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Salix atrocinerea

rusty willow

Salicaceae

Western and southern Europe and North Africa

Attracts Pollinators

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterHigh

HardinessZones 5–8

Overview

Salix atrocinerea is a deciduous shrub or small tree in the family Salicaceae, reaching 13-50 feet (4-15 m) tall, often multi-stemmed with a broad, bushy crown. The obovate to oblong leaves are 1-4 inches (2.5-10 cm) long, dull green above and grey-felted beneath, where scattered rust-coloured hairs along the veins give the species its name; the leaf edges are slightly toothed or wavy. Twigs are reddish-brown and, with the bark peeled, show short raised ridges on the wood. Like other willows it is dioecious, the male and female catkins borne on separate trees from February to April before the leaves; male catkins are silvery then yellow with pollen, female catkins greener and longer. Seeds are tiny and carried on white down. The species grows in wet woodland, carr, fen, ditch sides, hedgerows, and damp scrub across western and southern Europe and North Africa, on moist to wet soils. It is fast-growing and tolerant of wet, poor ground but short-lived for a tree, brittle-wooded, and quick to seed into damp open ground where it can become weedy.

Native Range

Native to western and southern Europe and North Africa, from Britain and Ireland south to the Iberian Peninsula and east through France and Italy. It grows in wet woodland and carr, fens, marshes, ditch and stream sides, damp hedgerows, and scrub on moist to waterlogged soils.

Suggested Uses

Planted in wet woodland, on pond and stream banks, and in conservation and biomass plantings, where its fast growth stabilises wet soil and feeds early insects. The spring catkins are an early pollen and nectar source for bees, and the trees support many willow-feeding insects. It suits damp, naturalistic ground rather than small or dry gardens.

How to Identify

A bushy willow with obovate leaves that are grey-felted beneath and carry scattered rust-coloured hairs along the veins, visible with a hand lens. Peeling the bark from a two-year twig reveals short raised ridges on the wood surface, a feature shared with grey willow Salix cinerea. The rusty leaf hairs and more pointed, often larger leaves separate it from typical Salix cinerea, with which it overlaps and hybridises.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height13' - 50'

Width/Spread13' - 30'

Reaches mature size in approximately 20 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Winter Spring

Catkins appear from February to April, before or with the emerging leaves, on separate male and female trees. Male catkins open silver-grey and turn yellow with pollen, drawing early bees and other insects, while female catkins are greener. By late spring the female catkins release tiny seeds on tufts of white down.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

silver-grey to yellow

Foliage Description

dull green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 5-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.0 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

clay loam peat silt

Drainagewet

Water & Climate

Water Needs

High

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

10-15 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Salix atrocinerea grows in full sun to light shade on moist, neutral to acidic soils and thrives in wet, even waterlogged ground that defeats many trees. It is fast-growing and easily raised from hardwood cuttings or truncheons pushed into damp soil, rooting readily without special care. Once established it needs no feeding or watering on moist sites and tolerates coppicing and pollarding, regrowing strongly from cut stumps. Its drawbacks are brittle, short-lived wood, dense shade, and free seeding that lets it colonise wet ground quickly, so it can crowd out other plants. It is prone to the same rusts, sawflies, and galls as other willows. On dry soils it grows poorly and is short-lived.

Pruning

It tolerates hard pruning, coppicing, and pollarding, traditionally cut on a cycle for poles, withies, or biomass and regrowing vigorously from the stump. Formative thinning of weak or crossing stems in winter improves the shape of multi-stemmed plants. Old or storm-damaged trees can be cut back hard and will usually resprout.