Side by side
Purple willow or white willow? How to tell them apart
Salix purpurea · Salix alba
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; white willow: a large tree with silvery, silky leaves toothed all round the edge.
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.
- White willow
- Long, narrow leaf, silvery-hairy on both sides; from a distance the tree looks silver-grey.
- Compared with purple willow: a large tree with silvery, silky leaves toothed all round the edge.
| Purple willow | White willow | |
|---|---|---|
| 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, lance-shaped, 5–10 cm, finely toothed; both sides (especially the underside) silky and silvery-hairy. |
| Flowering | Slender catkins in March–April, before the leaves; the anthers are purplish-red at first and later turn black (March–April). | Catkins in April; male and female on separate trees (April). |
| Fruit | Fluffy seeds in May. | Fluffy seeds in May–June. |
| Bark | Long, pliable, glossy shoots, purplish-red to yellowish-green; the inner bark is yellow and tastes very bitter. | Grey and deeply furrowed in a network pattern. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 2–5 m | Broadleaf tree, 15–25 m, often pollarded |
| 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 | November–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.
- White willow grows 15–25 m tall: too big for an ordinary garden, but fine in a large garden, a park or a meadow.
Read on
- Plant profile: Purple willow
- Plant profile: White willow
- Purple willow: when and how to prune
- White willow: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
- Osier or white willow
- White willow or crack willow
- Purple willow or osier
- Almond willow or white willow
- Peach or white willow
- White willow or weeping willow
- White willow or butterfly bush
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.