White Willow

Do you want to plant a White Willow? Here you will find all the information you need on how to best plant the White Willow, and on pruning and caring for your White Willow.
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General characteristics of a White Willow

Willow (Goat)

One of the defining trees in our landscape is undoubtedly the Goat Willow, Salix alba L., from the Willow family. This tree is known in two forms: as a standard, tall-growing tree, or as a pollarded willow. The Goat Willow is one of the most common native willow species. It has a straight trunk and elongated leaves with silvery undersides. It is a very fast-growing species. 

In spring, the crown has a silvery sheen due to the silky hairs on both sides of the narrow, elongated leaves. The leaf margins are finely serrated. The catkins emerge simultaneously with the young leaves. Trees with male flowering catkins are conspicuous because the elongated catkins are initially covered in silvery hairs and then turn yellow due to the yellow anthers of the stamens. The elongated catkins of female flowering trees are much less conspicuous due to their light greenish-yellow color. 

All things considered, the (pollarded) willow is a marvel of biodiversity. The branches teem with mosquitoes and other insects. Insects attract birds such as starlings, tits, and barn swallows. Many birds find nesting places in the willow's tuft. The white flowers emit a delightful, sweet, honey-like scent, which acts as a lure for bees and butterflies. Old willows, with their dense crowns and often hollow trunks, offer abundant nesting and shelter opportunities for birds, martens, mice, toads, salamanders, and little owls.

Characteristics


How to plant a White Willow

Insert the cuttings 1/3 into the ground. The currings should not be older than two years to prevent watermark disease.

How to harvest a White Willow

Cuttings of the mothertree can be used to grow roots in the soil, alternatively they can take root in water.

 

Caring for and pruning your White Willow

The pussy willow is a fast-growing tree. If left undisturbed, it can develop into a tall, straight, and fairly narrow tree. The pussy willow tolerates heavy pruning well and is often managed as a pollarded tree, making it an inextricable part of the Dutch landscape. Willow branches have traditionally been used for weaving baskets and natural fencing, for example. 

The tree doesn't really need pruning. To keep it in shape, you can shorten the long shoots in spring and/or summer to maintain the tree's shape. 

Pollarding involves pruning all branches above the trunk every three years. 

Once a willow has been pollarded, it must be continued, as otherwise, it will create a top-heavy tree with a weak crown that can easily break off.

Where does a White Willow grow

Goat willows require a sunny location in moist to wet, nutrient-rich soil. They are naturally the dominant tree species in willow-floodplain forests, often alongside crack willow and black poplar. Slightly acidic to alkaline soils are suitable. They have shallow roots and tolerate paving, but they quickly compress it. They tolerate road salt reasonably well. Due to flying seed fluff, female willows are generally not planted near buildings. 

Goat willows are abundant along all rivers, streams, canals, ditches, and trenches, and also in all cultural landscapes.


General

Origin
Native
Tree Type Deciduous tree

Length and Age

Length in about 10 years 2 Up to 4 Meter
Reproductive Maturity in How Many Years 5 Up to year
Maximum Age Up to year
Required Space Up to m2
Growth Rate

Reproduction

Tree is Self-Pollinating No
Reproduction Method
To cut (cutting is between 5 and 50 cm)
To be pollarded (the slit is approximately 2m)
Reproduction rate

Reproduction rate

1. Very low reproduction rate. The plant hardly spreads, has few seeds or vegetative spread (e.g., trees with heavy seeds).
2. Low reproduction rate. Spread via limited seed production or specific conditions required
3. Average reproduction rate. Regular spread, depending on wind, water, or animals, at a moderate speed (e.g., dandelion).
4. High reproduction rate. Many seeds and multiple spread strategies (wind, birds, vegetative). Quickly colonizes open spaces
5. Very high reproduction rate. Invasive species that spread explosively over large distances (e.g., Japanese knotweed).

Pruning Period

This Tree is Evergreen No
Summer June tot July
Winter November tot March
Leaf Shapes Elliptical
Easy to prune Yes

Bark Characteristics Seedling (50-200cm)

Colour

Bud Characteristics Seedling (50-200cm)

Colour
Bud Position
Spread out
Bud Shape
Fusiform

Other

Root
Heart root system
Bloom
Has catkins
Wind sensitivity Not sensitive to (sea) wind

Diseases

Sensitive to the Following Diseases
Watermark disease (Willow)

Harvest/recognition in winter

The twigs are yellow, brown, or red. They are not easily broken and often droop. The buds are hairy, contiguous, and pointed.

Light requirement of the White Willow

The White Willow thrives best under these light conditions.
  • Full sun

    • Suitable soil types for the White Willow

    In this overview, you can find which soil types are best for the White Willow to grow.
    Soil type Suitability
    light clay
    heavy clay
    sand
    peatland
    Loam
    Moerig op zand
    Lichte zavel
    Zware zavel

    Humidity

    A (ground)water level indicates how deep the groundwater usually is below the surface. The higher the Roman numeral, the deeper the groundwater.
    I
    II
    III
    IV
    V
    VI
    VII
    VIII

    Suitable acidity level for the White Willow

    Each soil type has a certain acidity level, measured in pH values. You can plant the White Willow in soil that falls within this range:
    0.0
    0.5
    1.0
    1.5
    2.0
    2.5
    3.0
    3.5
    4.0
    4.5
    5.0
    5.5
    6.0
    6.5
    7.0
    7.5
    8.0
    8.5
    9.0

    Nutritional needs of the White Willow

    Some soil types offer more nutritional richness than others.
    1.0
    1.5
    2.0
    2.5
    3.0
    3.5
    4.0
    4.5
    5.0
    5.5
    6.0
    6.5
    7.0
    7.5
    8.0
    8.5
    9.0
    1. Very nutrient-poor soil
    2. Very nutrient-poor to nutrient-poor soil
    3. Nutrient-poor soil
    4. Nutrient-poor to moderately nutrient-rich soil
    5. Moderately nutrient-rich soil
    6. Moderately nutrient-rich to nutrient-rich soil
    7. Nutrient-rich soil
    8. Extremely nutrient-rich soil
    9. Very extremely nutrient-rich soil

    Humidity

    Does White Willow like to have its roots in extremely dry (1.0) or wet (9.0) soil?
    1.0
    1.5
    2.0
    2.5
    3.0
    3.5
    4.0
    4.5
    5.0
    5.5
    6.0
    6.5
    7.0
    7.5
    8.0
    8.5
    9.0
    1. Extremely dry soils
    2. Extremely dry to dry soils
    3. Dry soils
    4. Dry to dry/moist soils
    5. Dry/moist soils
    6. Dry/moist to moist soils
    7. Moist soils
    8. Moist to wet soils
    9. Wet soils

    To be applied in landscapes

    0 = not filled in, 1 = unsuitable, 5 = very suitable
    Landscape Suitability
    Agroforestry
    Hedge
    Hedge
    Forest
    Feeding hedge
    Back yard
    Small back yard
    Solitary
    Wood wall

    Cultural-historical value

    0 = not filled in, 1 = low, 9 = high

    Insects

    How many insects typically live on this tree/plant? 450
    Which insect groups live on this tree/plant?
    Bees
    Butterflies
    Beetles
    Bumblebees
    Are there insects dependent on this species? No
    Which insect species are dependent on this tree/plant?
    Red-tipped Clearwing
    Goat Moth
    Cryptorrhynchus laphatii
    spotted willow leaf beetle

    Birds

    Average number of birds per tree/plant?
    Which bird groups live on this tree/plant?
    tits
    common starlings
    Barn swallows

    Mammals

    Average number of mammals per tree/plant?
    Which mammal groups live on this tree/plant?
    Are there mammals dependent on this species? No
    Which mammal species are dependent on this tree/plant?

    Bloom Period

    Summer April Up to May

    Tree Species

    Tree species that this tree prefers to grow with

    Suitable for mammals?

    toxic, 1 = unsuitable, 5 = very suitable
    Mammal Suitability
    Horse
    Human
    Goat
    Deer
    Sheep
    Beavers
    Badgers
    Squirrel
    Ferret
    Herbivorous rodents
    Dog
    Cat
    Chicken
    Cow
    Mouse
    Roe deer
    Pig
    Foxes
    Wild boar

    Explanation

    Explanation

    Edibility

    • Toxic: This tree or shrub is toxic to mammals and absolutely unsuitable for consumption.
    1. Very unsuitable: This tree or shrub is unsuitable for consumption by mammals and can be harmful.
    2. Unsuitable: This tree or shrub is generally unsuitable for consumption by mammals and can have adverse effects.
    3. Moderately suitable: This tree or shrub is moderately suitable as food for mammals, possibly with certain risks or limitations.
    4. Suitable: This tree or shrub is generally suitable as food for mammals, with little to no risks.
    5. Very suitable: This tree or shrub is very suitable as food for mammals, safe, and of high nutritional value.


    Trunk Height

    Average Trunk Height (hg) of the basal area median tree

    from - to, in whole meters, average

    Information not available

    Trunk Diameter

    (dg) (1.30m) of the basal area median tree.

    from - to, in whole centimeters, average

    Information not available

    Aboveground Biomass

    in whole kg

    Information not available

    Belowground Biomass

    in whole kg

    Information not available

    Substance Binder

    Which substances can be bound or absorbed?
    CO2
    Particulate matter

    Carbon Attraction (kf)

    (dg) (1.30m) of the basal area median tree Deciduous Trees (Kf = 0,48)

    Warming Resistance

    This tree is well resistant to the warming (plus 3 degrees) of our climate and fits into the future of our climate (heat and drought resistant). No
    CO2
    Particulate matter

    CO2

    0. not filled in
    1. no storage
    2. low storage
    3. moderate storage
    4. high storage
    5. very high storage

    Fine Dust

    0. not filled in
    1. no capture capacity
    2. low capture capacity
    3. moderate capture capacity
    4. high capture capacity
    5. very high capture capacity

    This is what an adult tree White Willow looks like

    White willow; a mature tree
    Bark of the white willow
    White willow trees

    This is what a White Willow in bloom looks like

    White willow in bloom
    Catkins of the white willow

    This is what the leaf of a White Willow looks like

    Leaf of the white willow