Willow (Goat)

Common Name

Goat Willow, Pussy Willow

Latin Name

Salix caprea

Status

Native

Distribution

Widespread. Particularly frequent on Coal Measures.

Habitats

Watercourses, ponds, damp woodland, scrub and carr, road verges, hedgerows, railway banks, disturbed land.

Requirements

Will grow in most soils and situations. Tolerates shade and exposure.

Recommendations

A fast growing small tree suitable for planting in scrub and woodland margins and adjacent to watercourses and wetlands. Particularly useful on poor ground.

Origins/Provenance

The existing population is largely wild although increasingly planted as a landscaping shrub. Use plants of local provenance, preferably cuttings from local plants, or FC seed zones 302 and 204.