Grey Willow - Salix cinerea
Family - Saliceceae, Also known as -
Common Willow, Grey Sallow, Pussy willow

Growing as a shrub to small tree of around 5-9m (16-30ft) with oval dull green alternate leaves that are long and thin at least twice as long as they are wide, 2-9cm (0.8-3.5in) long and 1-3cm (0.4-1.2in) wide, with a fine felt underneath with odd rusty hairs under the veins. Can easily be confused with Goat willow or Sallow which has much larger oval to round leaves. It is generally much branched from the base but can sometimes be found with a distinct trunk. Branches spread to form a broad, rounded or flattened crown. Grey Sallow has dark grey-brown bark which becomes fissured with age. The twigs are dark reddish-brown which are densely pubescent at first and can remain so for the first year before becoming or sub-glabrous. Catkins appear in advance of the leaves in March and April and are cylindrical and 2-3cm long and 0.6-1cm wide. The female green catkins are smaller and narrower than the male which are yellow.

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