Salix sericea ~ Silky Willow

Salix sericea ~ Silky WillowSilky Willow is a native multi stemmed deciduous shrub with a mounding habit and branchlets that turn purplish with age. The narrow foliage emerges with downy hairs with a red tint that quickly turns green and looses the hairs on the top half of the leaves while retaining its fuzzy undersides and turn yellow in fall. The small non showy catkins bloom in spring before the foliage emerges. Thrives in full sun with consistently moist well drained soils.

Silky Willow is a native multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a mounding habit and branchlets that turn purplish with age.  The narrow foliage emerges with downy hairs with a red tint that quickly turns green and looses the hairs on the top half of the leaves while retaining its fuzzy undersides and turn yellow in fall.  The small non-showy catkins bloom in spring before the foliage emerges.  Thrives in full sun with consistently moist well drained soils.   DO NOT plant near piping or sewers- the roots will break into them for water.

Salix sericea is a host plant for the Viceroy and Acadian Hairstreak Butterfly.

MAINTENANCE NEEDS:  Medium maintenance.  Avoid dry soils. Susceptible to various diseases, including blights, powdery mildew, leaf spots and cankers.  Possible pests include aphids, scale, borers, and lacebugs. Prune as needed in late winter to early spring.  The wood is weak due to fast growing and may split or crack.  Leaf and stem litter can be an issue. 

LANDSCAPE USES: Group Plantings or Specimen Tree, Naturalized Areas, Woodland Gardens, and  Shade Tree

COMPANION PLANTS: Azalea, Black Mondo Grass, Rhododendron

IMAGE:  TamaraKr, Salixsp.1, CC BY-SA 4.0

*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.