Side by side
Peach or white willow? How to tell them apart
Prunus persica · Salix alba
How to tell them apart – peach: small fruit tree with long, narrow, glossy leaves and pink blossom in March, before the leaves; white willow: silvery-hairy leaves, catkins and no fruit.
How do you recognise them?
- Peach
- Small fruit tree with long, narrow, glossy leaves and pink blossom in March, before the leaves.
- White willow
- Long, narrow leaf, silvery-hairy on both sides; from a distance the tree looks silver-grey.
- Compared with peach: silvery-hairy leaves, catkins and no fruit.
| Peach | White willow | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, 8–15 cm, lance-shaped, finely toothed, glossy green and often slightly folded along the midrib. | Alternate, lance-shaped, 5–10 cm, finely toothed; both sides (especially the underside) silky and silvery-hairy. |
| Flowering | Pink blossom in March–April, before the leaves, singly or in pairs (March–April). | Catkins in April; male and female on separate trees (April). |
| Fruit | Velvety peaches with a hard, grooved stone, in August–September. The nectarine is a smooth-skinned form. | Fluffy seeds in May–June. |
| Bark | Reddish-brown to grey, smooth with horizontal streaks. | Grey and deeply furrowed in a network pattern. |
| Shape and height | Fruit tree, 3–6 m | Broadleaf tree, 15–25 m, often pollarded |
| Site | Full sun, any garden soil, normal | Full sun, any garden soil, moist to wet |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees | Yes, for bees, butterflies and birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | April–August | November–March |
What does it mean for your garden?
- White willow is native: it feeds more insects and birds than a non-native species. If in doubt, choose this one.
- 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: Peach
- Plant profile: White willow
- Peach: when and how to prune
- White willow: when and how to prune
- Identification key: the question that separates them
Also looks like
- Apricot or peach
- Osier or white willow
- White willow or crack willow
- Almond or peach
- Peach or sweet chestnut
- Almond willow or white willow
- Purple willow or white willow
- White willow or weeping willow
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.