Leaf
Liliane Roubaudi, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Grey willow
Salix cinerea L.
Also known as: Grey sallow, Common sallow
Family: Salicaceae
3 to 8 m tall
Wetlands, peat bogs, ditches
Flowering: March – April
Full sun
Part shade
Very hardy, to -25°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Shoots covered in a fine, persistent greyish down, unlike the goat willow. Goat willow has broader leaves and shoots that quickly become hairless, whereas grey willow keeps densely greyish-downy shoots and leaf undersides for longer.
🍃 Leaves
Elongated-ovate, grey-felted beneath, prominent rusty veins
🌸 Flowers
Grey catkins before the leaves
🍎 Fruits
Small cottony capsules
🪵 Bark
Grey, young shoots downy
🗺️ Distribution
Europe, western Asia; very common in France in wetlands and ditches
🐝 Value for pollinators
Early nectar-rich catkins, appreciated by bees in late winter
✂️ Horticultural uses
Planted in wetlands to stabilise banks, little used as an ornamental
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity
⚠️ Look-alike species
Grey willow
Salix cinerea
Goat willow
Salix caprea
Goat willow has broader leaves and shoots that quickly become hairless, whereas grey willow keeps densely greyish-downy shoots and leaf undersides for longer.
🌿 Other Salicaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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