Goat willow or Purple willow: how to tell them apart?
Goat willow and Purple willow look alike and are often mixed up. Here is how to tell them apart, feature by feature, with their photos and the details to look for.
⚡ The quick answer
Goat willow
Salix caprea
Purple willow
Salix purpurea
Goat willow has thicker shoots and broad, ovate leaves, downy beneath, typical of the early silky catkins, whereas purple willow has slender, flexible shoots, often tinged with purple, and narrow leaves.
🍃 Leaves
Broad, ovate, crinkled above, grey-felted beneath
Deciduous, narrow, lanceolate, blue-green above, glaucous beneath
🌸 Flowers
Large catkins, silvery then bright yellow (the famous 'pussy willows')
Erect catkins appearing before the leaves, purplish-red stamens
🍎 Fruits
Small capsules with cottony seeds
Small cottony capsules
🪵 Bark
Grey, smooth then fissured
Slender, flexible, dark purple shoots, much used in basketry
📏 Size
5 to 10 m tall
2 to 5 m tall
🗺️ Habitat
Woodland edges, forest clearings, cool ground
Banks, hedgerows, basketry, cool and damp soils
⚠️ Toxicity
No known toxicity
No known toxicity.
🔎 And from the Purple willow side
Goat willow has thicker shoots and broad, ovate leaves, downy beneath, typical of the early silky catkins, whereas purple willow has slender, flexible shoots, often tinged with purple, and narrow leaves.
🌿 Go further
Want to practise spotting these details on real photos? Floraneo offers profiles and quizzes for dozens of look-alike species.
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.