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Salix aurita

eared willow

Salicaceae Europe and western Asia

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterHigh

HardinessZones 3–7

Overview

Salix aurita is a deciduous shrub of the willow family, typically growing 3-10 feet (1-3 m) tall with a low, bushy, much-branched form. The twigs are slender and dark, ridged beneath the bark, and bear small, persistent ear-shaped stipules at the leaf bases that give the plant its common name. Leaves are obovate, 0.8-1.6 inches (2-4 cm) long, wrinkled above with impressed veins, grey-green and softly hairy beneath, and end in a short twisted point. Like all willows the species is dioecious, with male and female catkins borne on separate plants in March to May, mostly before or with the emerging leaves. Male catkins are short and yellow with pollen, while female catkins are greener and develop into capsules that release plumed, wind-borne seeds. Salix aurita grows on wet heaths, bogs, damp woodland, and stream banks, usually on acidic, peaty ground. It hybridises freely with other willows, producing intermediate plants that can be hard to name. As a wetland shrub it is intolerant of dry soils and has a relatively short lifespan compared with tree willows.

Native Range

Native to Europe and western Asia, from Britain and Scandinavia south to the mountains of Iberia and east into Russia, where it grows on wet heath, bog margins, and damp acidic woodland.

Suggested Uses

Used in wetland restoration, bog gardens, pond margins, and damp native hedgerows, and as a coppiced source of flexible stems. It stabilises wet banks and supports early-season pollinators. Plants are spaced about 3-5 feet (0.9-1.5 m) apart in informal groups rather than formal rows.

How to Identify

Told from similar sallows by the persistent, ear-like stipules at the leaf bases and the small, wrinkled, obovate leaves with a short twisted tip. The leaf undersides are grey-green and softly hairy with raised, net-like veins. Young twigs show low ridges in the wood beneath the bark when the bark is peeled back.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height3' - 10'

Width/Spread5' - 8'

Reaches mature size in approximately 5 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~4 weeks

Spring

Catkins appear from March to May, before or alongside the new leaves, on separate male and female bushes. Male catkins are short, oval, and yellow with pollen; female catkins are greener and more cylindrical. They are an early source of pollen and nectar for bees and other emerging insects.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

grey-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-12 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 Range4.5 - 6.5(Acidic)

357912

Soil Types

peat clay loam

Drainagewet

Water & Climate

Water Needs

High

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

3-5 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Eared willow grows in full sun to light shade on permanently moist to wet, acidic soils, including peat and boggy ground. It withstands waterlogging that would kill most shrubs but declines on dry or strongly alkaline sites. Plants root very easily from hardwood cuttings taken in winter and pushed into damp ground. No feeding is needed on natural soils, and the shrub regrows strongly after being cut to the base. It is wind-firm and cold-hardy, suiting exposed northern and upland sites. Growth slows markedly where summer moisture is lacking.

Pruning

Tolerates hard pruning and coppicing in late winter, regrowing vigorously from the base with long, straight shoots. Cutting back every few years keeps plants dense and within bounds in damp gardens. Pruning before the catkins open avoids removing the early pollen source.

✓ Toxicity

Non-toxic