Side by side
Purple willow or osier? How to tell them apart
Salix purpurea · Salix viminalis
How to tell them apart – purple willow: shrubby willow with long, slender, often purplish-red shoots and narrow, blue-green leaves that are sometimes almost opposite; osier: much longer, narrow leaves with a silky, silvery underside, always alternate.
How do you recognise them?
- Purple willow
- Shrubby willow with long, slender, often purplish-red shoots and narrow, blue-green leaves that are sometimes almost opposite.
- Osier
- Willow with very long, narrow leaves with a silvery, shiny underside, and long, pliable shoots.
- Compared with purple willow: much longer, narrow leaves with a silky, silvery underside, always alternate.
| Purple willow | Osier | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate to almost opposite, 4–10 cm, narrowly oblanceolate (widest above the middle), finely toothed only in the upper part; hairless, underside bluish-grey. | Alternate, 10–20 cm long and 1–2 cm wide, untoothed with a slightly rolled-under edge; underside covered in silky, silver-grey hairs. |
| Flowering | Slender catkins in March–April, before the leaves; the anthers are purplish-red at first and later turn black (March–April). | Catkins in March–April, before the leaves (March–April). |
| Fruit | Fluffy seeds in May. | Fluffy seeds in May. |
| Bark | Long, pliable, glossy shoots, purplish-red to yellowish-green; the inner bark is yellow and tastes very bitter. | Long, straight, pliable shoots, hairy at first, later glossy greenish-brown. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 2–5 m | Shrub, 3–6 m |
| Site | Full sun, any garden soil, moist to wet | Full sun, any garden soil, moist to wet |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | Yes, for bees, butterflies and birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | December–March | December–March |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Both are native and good for wildlife: choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have.
Read on
- Plant profile: Purple willow
- Plant profile: Osier
- Purple willow: when and how to prune
- Osier: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
- Osier or white willow
- Purple willow or white willow
- Goat willow or osier
- Sea buckthorn or osier
- Osier or creeping willow
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.