Grey willow
Salix cinerea
A fast, thirsty wetland workhorse: coppice or pollard it hard for endless mulch and early bee forage. Keep it out of dry ground — and watch it, since it self-seeds readily near water.
Grey willow in a syntropic line
Grey willow belongs in the Medium layer as a Secondary biomass species. The productive heart — most of your yield lives here. Rough in-row spacing starts around 1.1 m in a syntropic row. Good line partners include Avocado, Black mulberry. As a Secondary species it carries mid-term yield and structure while climax trees slowly claim the canopy.
Tolerances and growing conditions
- Strata
- Medium
- Lifecycle
- Secondary
- Soil preference
- Clay, Loam
- Soil pH range
- 5 – 7.5
- Min. temperature
- -30°C
- Min. rainfall
- 800 mm/year
- Wind tolerance
- Medium
- Frost tolerance
- High
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Irrigation needed
- High
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Waterlogging tolerance
- High
- Origin
- Europe
- Native to Portugal
- Yes
How to manage it
Fast wetland biomass and early bee-forage shrub; coppices and pollards hard for mulch and basketry.
How to propagate
Stick dormant hardwood whips directly into wet ground in winter — they root almost without fail.
Guidance, not a guarantee — success varies by species and skill.
What to watch out for
Needs wet or moist ground and is no good on dry sites; can seed aggressively and turn weedy in wetlands and along waterways.
Frequently asked questions about Grey willow
Is grey willow frost-hardy?
Yes for winter cold in many climates — generally hardy to around -30°C when dormant, with high frost tolerance in the catalog. Flowering crops can still lose a season to late frost, so site them carefully.
What soil does grey willow need?
It does best on clay, loam ground, at pH about 5–7.5.
How much water does grey willow need?
Plan for a rainfall floor around 800 mm/year, plus high irrigation once established.
Can grey willow handle wet or waterlogged soil?
Yes — grey willow has high waterlogging tolerance and copes with winter-wet ground.
What should I watch out for with grey willow?
Needs wet or moist ground and is no good on dry sites; can seed aggressively and turn weedy in wetlands and along waterways.
Design your line to see how your land fits Grey willow.
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