Goat willow

Salix caprea · also: Pussy willow, Great sallow

The goat willow is the ‘pussy willow’: in March it is covered in fat, silvery catkins, which turn golden yellow with pollen on male trees. It is a native small tree or large shrub of 3–10 m, with broadly oval leaves that are grey-felted underneath. It grows fast, tolerates sun and part shade, and turns up of its own accord in woodland edges, on waste ground and in gardens. For bees, bumblebees and butterflies it is one of the most important plants of early spring. Because you can cut it back low every few years, it also fits in an ordinary garden, a natural hedge or a woodland edge.

Updated on 10 October 2026

Light
Sun or partial shade
preferably some sun
Moisture
Moist to wet
must not dry out
Legal basis
Any garden soil
any pH
Hardiness
Throughout Belgium
no protection needed
Size
3–10 m
tall
Flowering
March–April

Key facts
Pruning months	April–May
Height	3–10 m
Native to Belgium	Yes
Good for bees, butterflies and birds	Yes, for bees, butterflies and birds
Poisonous to people and pets	Not known to be poisonous
Flowering	March–April

Identify

Goat willow: how do you recognise it?

Habit: Small tree or large shrub of 3–10 m with a broad, rounded crown about 6 m wide.
Leaves: Alternate, broadly oval, 5–10 cm, with a short tip that is often bent to one side; edge wavy and irregularly toothed. Underside grey-felted, upper side dull and slightly wrinkled.
Bark: Grey, smooth for a long time, later cracking into diamonds. Buds large and red-brown.
Flowers: Fat, silvery catkins in March, before the leaves, with male and female flowers on separate trees; on male trees they turn golden yellow.
Fruit: Fluffy seeds in May, on the female trees.
Difference from grey willow: Grey willow has narrower leaves, felted twigs and ridges under the bark.

Flowering: March–April · Pruning: April–May

Identify by feature: White or silver underside · Yellow flowers in spring

Looks like it, but isn’t

Grey willow (Salix cinerea): narrower leaves, felted twigs and ridges under the bark.

In your garden

Why grow it?

One of the most important early food sources for bees and bumblebees.
Food plant of the purple emperor butterfly and of many other butterflies, moths and insects.
Silver catkins in March: one of the first signs of spring.
Fast and tough: you can coppice it every few years, and it always regrows.

Goat willow: where does it grow best?

Sun or part shade; it flowers most freely in sun.
Almost any soil; moist soil is ideal, but as a pioneer it also grows on open, drier sites.
Allow for 3–10 m in height and about 6 m in width; coppicing keeps it smaller.
A good spot is the edge of the garden, a natural hedge or a woodland edge, where the catkins catch the spring sun.

Light: Sun or partial shade
Legal basis: Any garden soil
Moisture: Moist to wet
Size: 8 m tall, 6 m wide
Hardiness: Throughout Belgium, no protection needed

Goes well with

Hazel: Flowers even earlier: together pollen for bees from winter into April.
Cornelian cherry: Small yellow flowers in February–March, just before or with the catkins: a feast for early bees.
Blackthorn: White blossom in March–April, just after the willow catkins; together a rich native woodland edge or hedge.
Guelder rose: A native shrub for moist soil, with white flower heads in May and red berries in autumn.

Maintenance

Goat willow: when and how to plant it?

Plant from November to March when the ground isn’t frozen.
Choose a young plant, in a pot or bare-root: goat willows establish best when young.
The finest golden catkins are on male trees; female trees produce fluff in May.
For a small garden the weeping form ‘Kilmarnock’ is an option: a grafted little tree 1.5–2 m tall.
Water after planting and during dry spells in the first year.

Care

Watering: In dry spells during the first year; after that only on a dry site during long dry periods.
Feeding: Not needed.
Coppicing: Cut it back low every few years after flowering to keep it compact; it regrows vigorously.
Picking catkins: Only pick a few catkin branches for a vase: leave the rest for the bees.

Tip: Not enough room for a goat willow? Coppice it low every few years after flowering, or choose the weeping form ‘Kilmarnock’: that way even a small garden has catkins for the bees.

Goat willow: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April–May.

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

How:

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.

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

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Sowing: The seed only stays viable for a short time: sow the fluff straight away in May on moist soil, without covering it.
Self-sown seedlings: Seedlings often appear around a female goat willow; move them in autumn or winter.
Cuttings: Unlike most willows, goat willow roots poorly from cuttings: seed or a seedling works better. ‘Kilmarnock’ is grafted.

Goat willow: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy throughout Belgium: no protection needed.

Fully hardy.
In February the large buds are already swelling; a few branches in a vase indoors quickly open into catkins.

Diseases and pests

Willow rust: Yellow to orange pustules on the leaves in summer; mainly unsightly, not harmful. Clear up fallen leaves.
Willow leaf beetles: Small blue or green beetles and their larvae eat the leaves in summer. A healthy goat willow easily grows through it.
Caterpillars: Lots of caterpillars eat willow leaves: that is part of being a native shrub, and it feeds tits and other birds.
Overgrown shrub: An old goat willow goes bare at the base and breaks easily. Cut it back low after flowering: it will regrow.

Through the year

February: The buds swell; a few branches can go in a vase indoors.
March: Flowering: catkins for bees and bumblebees; last month for planting.
April: Prune or coppice after flowering.
May: Last month for pruning; fluffy seeds: sow straight away.
June: Rust and leaf beetles on the leaves: usually no action needed.
July: Water young plants in dry spells.
November: Planting season starts.
December: Plant in mild weather.

Use

What can you use it for?

For wildlife: In March the catkins are one of the most important food sources for bees and bumblebees; food plant of the purple emperor butterfly.
Also used for: Catkin branches as spring decoration, for example for Palm Sunday.

Good for wildlife

Bees: Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.
Bumblebees: Nectar and pollen for bumblebees, also from deep flowers and early in spring.
Caterpillars: Host plant: caterpillars of butterflies or moths eat the leaves.
Moths: Nectar for moths, often from flowers that are scented in the evening.
Birds: Berries, seeds or insects as food, or a place to nest.

You and this species

Did you know?

One of the most important early food sources for bees and bumblebees.
The goat willow is the food plant of the purple emperor, a large woodland butterfly whose males shimmer purple-blue.
Catkin branches are popular as spring decoration, for example for Palm Sunday.
The name caprea (from the Latin for goat) and the English name goat willow refer to goats, which like to browse its twigs and leaves.
Unlike most willows, goat willow roots poorly from cuttings: simply sticking a branch in the ground rarely works.

All species · Identification key · Pruning calendar