Side by side
Osier or creeping willow? How to tell them apart
Salix viminalis · Salix repens
How to tell them apart – osier: a large shrub with long, narrow leaves (10–20 cm); creeping willow: low, creeping little willow with small, silvery-haired leaves and small catkins in spring.
How do you recognise them?
- Osier
- Willow with very long, narrow leaves with a silvery, shiny underside, and long, pliable shoots.
- Compared with creeping willow: a large shrub with long, narrow leaves (10–20 cm).
- Creeping willow
- Low, creeping little willow with small, silvery-haired leaves and small catkins in spring.
| Osier | Creeping willow | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, 10–20 cm long and 1–2 cm wide, untoothed with a slightly rolled-under edge; underside covered in silky, silver-grey hairs. | Alternate, elliptic to lanceolate, 1–4 cm, untoothed or finely toothed; underside (in the dunes both sides) covered with silky silver hairs. |
| Flowering | Catkins in March–April, before the leaves (March–April). | Small catkins (1–2 cm) in April–May, just before or with the leaves; male ones yellow, female ones greenish, on separate plants (April–May). |
| Fruit | Fluffy seeds in May. | Small capsules that split open in May–June and release seeds with white fluff. |
| Bark | Long, straight, pliable shoots, hairy at first, later glossy greenish-brown. | Thin, reddish-brown to grey twigs, partly lying on the ground and rooting from underground runners. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 3–6 m | Dwarf shrub, 0.2–1 m |
| Site | Full sun, any garden soil, moist to wet | Full sun, any garden soil, dry 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 | May–June |
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: Osier
- Plant profile: Creeping willow
- Osier: when and how to prune
- Creeping willow: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.