Goat willow (Salix caprea)

Goat willow (Salix caprea) is a shrub that can grow 8m – 15m tall and 3m – 8m wide. In this growing guide we’ll learn the cultivation details and how to plant Goat willow (Salix caprea).

This plant has several common names including: goat willow, pussy willow, florist’s willow, great sallow, Kilmarnock willow, Northamptonshire palm, palm willow, sallow or sally.

This is a deciduous plant that takes 20-50 years to reach full maturity.

Plant profile

Common name: goat willow, pussy willow, florist’s willow, great sallow, Kilmarnock willow, Northamptonshire palm, palm willow, sallow, sally
Scientific name: Salix caprea
Plant type: Shrubs
Habit: Bushy
Height: 8m – 15m
Spread: 3m – 8m
Foliage: Deciduous
Sunlight: Full Sun
Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture: Moist but well drained, Poorly drained
Garden type: Coastal, Wildlife Gardens
Planting type: Hedging & Screens, Low Maintenance
Other characteristics: Plants for pollinators

Seasonal colors

How to plant Goat willow (Salix caprea) – Hladac, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Shrubs are fundamental elements in any garden.

They add color and interest throughout the seasons with their wide variety of flowers, foliage, fruits, trunks and stems.

Whatever the size or style of your garden, the permanent woody structure or the foliage of evergreen shrubs will give the space shape and dimension.

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How to plant

In this section we will learn how to plant Goat willow (Salix caprea), know its needs in terms of soil, watering and sun exposure.

Soil

Goat willow (Salix caprea) is not a demanding plant regarding the type of soil and can grow in clay, loam or sand.

• Clay soil is composed of more than 25 percent clay particles. These particles have a high moisture holding capacity and the soil is heavy to dig and can be waterlogged in winter (dry in summer).

• The loam soil is dark, rich in organic matter but balanced in minerals. It offers the best of all worlds, retaining enough water for the plants, but allowing excess moisture to drain away. This is the most desired type of garden soil, perfect for most plants.

• Sandy soil is light, porous and very easy to drain. It is a soil poor in organic matter and nutrients. It is composed of relatively large mineral particles that allow water to drain quickly.

It is not very sensitive to soil acidity or alkalinity and grows well in soils with pH acid, alkaline or neutral.

Regarding drainage, Salix caprea likes to grow in moist but well drained or humid or poorly drained soils.

Sunlight

Goat willow (Salix caprea) should be grown in full sun places.

Cultivation profiles – Growing Goat willow (Salix caprea) – Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons