MPF · CC BY-SA 3.0
White willow
Tree·Salix alba
Full sun
Sun
High
Water
Moist soil
Drainage
Zones 2–9
Hardiness
White willow (Salix alba) is a tree. It grows best in full sun and has high water needs. It grows well with black alder.
Through the year
DormantLeafing outFloweringFruitingDying back
Works well with
from wiki dataWHAT IT NEEDS
Wants full sun
Needs a lot of water
Tolerates moist soil, as long as it drains well
Prefers soil pH 5.5–8
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Prefers loam, clay, sand soil
Tolerates some soil compaction
Draws up potassium, calcium from deep in the soil
Adds a lot of organic matter to the soil
Partners with mycorrhizal fungi to boost nutrient uptake
WHAT IT GIVES
Gives shade (significant shade from mature canopy)
Gives wind shelter (effective windbreak)
Gives leaf litter (high)
Gives organic matter (significant contribution from leaf litter and root turnover)
Gives habitat (provides nesting and roosting sites for birds and other wildlife)
Gives mulch biomass (can be coppiced or pollarded for biomass)
Provides potassium
Provides calcium
Attracts pollinators
Shelters birds
Shelters wildlife
HOW IT GROWS
SIZE & SPACING
Canopy tree
Height1500–2500 cm
Spacing1000 cm (min 800 cm)
Root depthDeep
Width800–1500 cm
Width figures are rough estimates, the most variable measurement in our data.
AI estimate · accuracy improves as growers contribute corrections.
HOW TO PROPAGATE
Propagate by cuttings, seed
Difficulty
Establishes in about 1 yr
Self-seeds readily on its own
Where this comes from
Parsed4 Oct 2026
ConfidenceNot recorded
Photograph MPF · CC BY-SA 3.0