The Dawes Arboretum

Common name: silver willow

Family: Salicaceae (willow family)

Synonym: Salix alba f. argentea, Salix alba 'Sericea'

Distribution: only cultivated

Hardiness: USDA Zone 2

Life form: Deciduous tree

Comments: Medium-sized, deciduous tree with low branches and flexible stems that create a broad round- topped form. Dense foliage is covered with persistently silvery hairs giving leaves silvery hue. One of the first plants to leaf out in spring and last to drop its golden yellow leaves in fall. Requires full sun and will grow in moist, wet sites where little else grows.