Salix lanata - Willow

Salix lanata, the woolly willow, is a small but very robust botanical species, native to subarctic areas of Northern Europe. This compact shrub, accustomed to very harsh climates and alpine rockeries, is recognized by its low, bushy, spreading and regular habit, with soft grey-silver down covering its young foliage and very decorative yellow young branches. Its large golden male catkins and its fairly spectacular grey-yellow female catkins appear in spring, at the same time as the foliage. Well adapted to small gardens, especially in mountain climates, it thrives in sunny, well-drained beds and excels in large, moist rockeries. 

Salix lanata belongs to the willow family. It is a deciduous botanical species native to Iceland, the Faroe Islands, northern Scandinavia, and eastern Siberia. It is also found in Scotland. It is generally found growing on rocky slopes in the mountains, on relatively poor soil, between 600 and 900 metres (1968 and 2953 feet) above sea level. The texture, colour, and attractive compact habit of this plant, combined with its extreme hardiness, have earned it the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in England. This small, slow-growing shrub develops a regular and branched framework near the base. It spreads laterally over time, reaching a height of 1 metre (3 feet) and a spread of 1.5 metres (5 feet). The young branches are covered with yellow bark. With age, its branching takes on a knotty appearance. In this species, all the young spring vegetation is covered with down. The foliage is deciduous, the young leaves are covered with white to pale grey wool and become smooth when mature. They are arranged alternately, rounded in shape, slightly wavy along the edges, and average about 6 cm (2in) in length. On mature leaves, the upper surface of the leaf is dark green with a matte finish. The particularly ornamental flowering occurs from April to June, depending on the climate, at the same time as the leaves emerge. The male flowers of this willow are gathered in large silky upright catkins, 5 cm (2in) long and golden when ripe. The female catkins are very feathery and borne on separate plants, measure up to 8 cm (3in) in length and are silky pale grey-yellow. This flowering is appreciated by bees, which come to collect pollen and nectar. It is followed by the formation of capsules that open at maturity to release bristled seeds.

Equally charming as a standalone plant, in flower beds or rockeries, the woolly willow, shaped with knotty wood and crowned with large, tactile catkins possesses the unique charm and robustness of plants from harsh climates. Its beautiful dense and silver vegetation will be highlighted in a simple rocky environment or in a flower meadow. This small shrub also has a place in contemporary gardens, often urban and small in size. Prune it every three years after flowering to encourage it to bush out and produce numerous flowering branches. It can be associated with perennials and shrubs such as mountain savory, Icelandic poppy, Amur river pink, purple broom, Arabis and Alyssum, and bellflowers. In an informal hedge with well-drained soil that remains moist, it can be combined with spring-flowering shrubs such as flowering almonds, Cytisus scoparius, or purple barberries. Consider composing bouquets with its branches adorned with silky catkins. In a vase, they beautifully complement those of Prunus triloba and other flowering cherries and plum trees that will awaken in the warmth of the house.