Goat willow: when and how to prune

Salix caprea

Goat willow is best pruned in April–May.

Updated on 11 October 2026

Key facts
Pruning months	April–May
Nesting season (15 March–15 August)	Take care in April–May
Flowering	March–April
Good for bees, butterflies and birds	Yes, for bees, butterflies and birds
Native to Belgium	Yes

Goat willow: when to prune it?

After flowering (April–May), so the bees can make use of the catkins.

What else to prune in those months? April · May

Prune little: remove dead branches and thin out overcrowded parts.
It tolerates hard pruning: you can cut it back close to the ground every few years.
On ‘Kilmarnock’: after flowering, shorten the hanging branches a little and remove shoots growing from the stem or below the graft.

One pruning period a year: April–May.
Can be cut back to just above the ground every few years and will then regrow.
Never remove more than about a quarter of the crown at once. Better a little every year.

Pruning in April–May can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
Goat willow flowers in March–April, when it attracts bees.
If pruning falls during flowering, wait until it is over or leave part of the plant to flower, so bees and butterflies still benefit.
Host plant: caterpillars of butterflies or moths eat the leaves.
As a native plant, it feeds more insects than a non-native species.
Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Caution: Don’t prune in winter or early spring: you would remove the catkins just when bees and bumblebees need them most.

This guide is compiled from the Bladwijzer plant profile and pruning calendar.