Salix alba - White Willow

Yellow Wood Willow, in Latin Salix alba, is a variety of White Willow whose golden branches have been curved and joined together to form a charming high aviary. Crowned with beautiful shiny foliage in spring and summer, the bright yellow young branches of this osier are particularly revealed under the pale winter sun, in a more ochre but shiny yellow tone. More hardy and less invasive than bamboo, this bush takes up little space on the ground and can compete with it in elegance and flexibility, whether as a standalone specimen, in a green room or in a large pot on the terrace. It grows in full sun, in any deep garden soil, simply remaining slightly moist or more distinctly damp. Its maintenance consists of pruning misplaced twigs in winter and reducing its growth with a short pruning.

Native to wet areas of Europe, temperate Asia and North Africa, Salix alba is a highly adaptable and fast-growing tree, reaching up to 20m (65 ft 7in) in height and 10m (32 ft 10in) in spread if not pruned. It belongs to the family Salicaceae and the genus Salix, which includes no less than 300 species distributed in the cold regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Its habit is generally rounded, with the tree developing one or several trunks topped with a wide crown. The long flexible branches of this willow have the ability to twist and root very easily, allowing creative gardeners and horticulturists to shape it according to their desires. It is often cultivated in the form of a "pollard" for basketry production. Some cultivars and varieties derived from this willow have been selected for the beautiful coloration of their bark.

Yellow Wood Willow should be regularly pruned if one does not want it to reach 10m (32 ft 10in) in height. The long flexible branches are pubescent when young, then they take on a beautiful bright yellow colour. They bear deciduous to semi-evergreen leaves in winter, 10cm (3.9in) long, narrow and lanceolate in shape. Both sides of the leaf blade are silky, with the upper side being shiny and deep green, and the lower side silver-white. Flowering occurs in April-May, at the same time as the young leaves appear. It is a dioecious tree, with male and female subjects. The male catkins are slender, 3 to 5cm (2in) long, arched and spread out, yellowish in colour. The female catkins are smaller, denser and green in colour. The bark of this tree becomes more brown and fissures longitudinally with age. Its powerful root system, both taprooted and extensively spreading, is perfectly adapted to deep and unstable soils. For this reason, it is advisable to keep this willow away from pipes. White willow is also a medicinal plant, with the bark being the first source of aspirin. Salix alba can reach the venerable age of 100 years.

Place your domed Yellow Wood Willow in a strategic location in the garden, as a standalone specimen or in groups of 3 subjects. Also, place it in a carefully chosen large pot on the terrace or balcony, monitoring the watering: it will have a great effect and earn you compliments from your visitors! You can also plant several subjects in a row or as a clump, to form a graphic hedge that will delimit a vegetable square or elegantly hide your compost, clotheslines, a small tool shed, etc. The golden stems of this willow intertwine to form magnificent geometric figures, overarched by a dense foliage, creating a true living sculpture that constantly evolves.

Tips: Collect fallen leaves in autumn and burn them if the tree shows black spots (anthracnose) or yellow-orange spots (rust) during its growth. Once all the leaves have fallen, treat with Bordeaux mixture.