Shrubs🌿 Native to the NetherlandsVery hardy — tolerates frost down to -30°C

Grey willow

Salix cinerea

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Grey willow (Salix cinerea) is a native, deciduous shrub or small tree found in wet forests, swamp forests, water edges, stream valleys, fens, and humid dune slacks. This densely branched shrub is recognizable by its grey-felted young twigs and buds, and dull blue-green leaves with a grey-hairy underside. In March and April, upright willow catkins appear before the leaves emerge. Male and female catkins grow on separate plants. After pollination, female plants produce capsules with small, hairy seeds that are dispersed by the wind in May and June. Grey willow is suitable for wet nature gardens, pond edges, marsh zones, riverbanks, and moist hedgerows, though it can form a wide, dense thicket in a suitable location.

Year calendar

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
🌸Blooms
🐝Provides nectar
🍓Bears fruit
🍂Has autumn colour

Pruning period

✂️Best pruning period: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
✂️ Pruning period

Best pruning period

Grey willow tolerates pruning well but does not usually require annual trimming. If necessary, remove a few old branches low to the ground to rejuvenate the shrub. It is best to prune in phases, leaving enough branches each year to ensure the preservation of spring catkins, shelter, and host plant material.

Botanical profile

Site & soil

Half shade, Sun

Soil type: Clay, Sand, Loam, Peat, Humus-rich

Moisture need: Moist, Wet / marshy, Moderately moist

pH: Slightly acidic (5.5–6.5), Neutral (6.5–7.5)

Nutrient richness: Moderately nutrient-rich, Nutrient-rich

Humus content: Moderately humus-rich, Humus-rich, Peaty

Water drainage: Moisture-retentive, Poorly draining

Appearance & season

Mature height: 400-800cm

Bloom: Mar-Apr

Autumn colour: The grey-green leaves turn dull yellow to yellowish-brown in autumn before falling. The autumn color is not particularly striking.

Properties

Salt sensitive: Yes

Edible: No

Scent: Floral scent: distinctively honey-like. Especially in sunny spring weather, the blooming catkins can emit a clear honey fragrance that, along with nectar and pollen, attracts a large number of insects.

Ecological value

Due to its early flowering, grey willow is a vital food source for bees, bumblebees, hoverflies, and other spring insects. The catkins provide nectar, and male plants also offer abundant pollen. Especially in the early spring, when few other native plants are in bloom, these catkins are of great ecological value. The leaves serve as food for caterpillars of numerous butterflies and moths, including the purple emperor and mourning cloak. Leaf miners, beetles, aphids, bugs, and other insects also thrive on this shrub. The dense branching provides birds with sheltered nesting sites and cover, while insectivorous birds benefit from the abundance of insects attracted to the plant.

Food web & Biodiversity

🐛 Caterpillars & mothsExtremely useful

🐝 Bees & bumblebeesExtremely useful

🪰 HoverfliesVery useful

🦋 ButterfliesVery useful

🪲 Beetles & insectsExtremely useful

🐦 BirdsUseful

🐿️ MammalsUseful

🐞 Other animalsUseful

Grey willow is highly valuable due to its early-flowering catkins, which provide nectar and pollen to wild bees, honeybees, bumblebees, hoverflies, and other spring insects. Its foliage is a food source for many caterpillars and specialized insects. Furthermore, dense willow thickets offer nesting opportunities and cover for birds and small mammals, while the numerous insects serve as food for birds and bats.

Distribution in the Netherlands