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Salix repens

creeping willow

Salicaceae Europe and western Asia

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies

SunFull Sun

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 3–7

Overview

Salix repens is a low, spreading deciduous shrub in the willow family, typically 12-60 inches (30-150 cm) tall and often wider than high, spreading by suckers and rooting stems. The slender branches may creep along the ground or rise in low, rounded mounds depending on the form and site. Leaves are small, 0.4-1.4 inches (10-35 mm) long, oval to narrowly elliptic, dark green above and clothed beneath in silky silvery hairs that catch the light. Like all willows the species is dioecious, with male and female catkins on separate plants. Catkins appear from March to May, before or with the young leaves: the males yellow with pollen, the females greener and developing into fluffy white seed. The shrub grows on coastal dunes, damp heaths, fens, and moist grassland, tolerating both sandy and peaty soils. It withstands wind, salt spray, and seasonal waterlogging but needs an open, sunny position and is shaded out beneath taller scrub.

Native Range

Native across Europe and into western Asia, from the Atlantic coasts and British Isles east to Siberia. Common in Britain on dunes, heaths, and damp ground throughout.

Suggested Uses

Planted for ground cover and slope or dune stabilisation on damp, sandy, or peaty soils. The early catkins support emerging spring pollinators. It is used in coastal and wetland naturalistic schemes and informal low hedging.

How to Identify

A low willow with small oval leaves, 0.4-1.4 inches (10-35 mm) long, dark green above and silvery-silky beneath. Stems creep or form low mounds and root where they touch moist ground. Short catkins 0.4-1 inch (10-25 mm) long appear in early spring before or with the leaves, yellow on male plants and greenish on female plants.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 5'

Width/Spread3' - 6'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Spring

Catkins open from March to May, ahead of or alongside the emerging leaves. Male and female catkins grow on separate plants, the males supplying early pollen and nectar to bees and other insects. Female catkins ripen by early summer into masses of white, cottony, wind-borne seed.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-10 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 Range4.5 - 7.0(Acidic)

357912

Soil Types

sand peat loam

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

3-5 years to mature spread

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Salix repens grows in full sun on moist to wet, free-draining sand, loam, or peat, tolerating acidic and neutral ground. It withstands coastal wind and salt and copes with seasonal flooding, but languishes in deep shade or on dry, chalky soil. Plants root very readily from hardwood cuttings taken in winter or from layered stems. Once established it spreads outward by suckering, forming a low thicket that may need containing at the edges. Light renewal pruning in late winter keeps growth dense and low. Prolonged drought causes leaf scorch and dieback of the shallow roots.

Pruning

Pruning is done in late winter before growth begins, shortening overlong or untidy stems to shape the low mound. Older stems are removed at the base to encourage fresh shoots. The species also regrows after coppicing or grazing.

✓ Toxicity

Non-toxic

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Shrub

Salix repens

creeping willow

Salicaceae Europe and western Asia

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies

SunFull Sun

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 3–7

Overview

Native Range

Native across Europe and into western Asia, from the Atlantic coasts and British Isles east to Siberia. Common in Britain on dunes, heaths, and damp ground throughout.