Odd willows

[Paul mabbott]

In a scrubby area near our wood yesterday came across three willows none of which looked like our usual sallow or crack willow. Quite possibly planted but I've never got into Salix spp - I recall that they're quite complex. So any clues appreciated.
The first one was a large tree with slightly elongated, shiny leaves:




The other was much sorter, scrubbier with very hairy leaves (not a brilliant photo, sorry )


Photos of the third tree were even worse so I'll forget about that one! No sign of flowers on any of the trees.

[poschiavanus]

Can't say much about the second, although I would expect it to be close to Grey or Goat Sallows S. cinerea & S. caprea or one of their hybrids. Standard technique is to find a 3-4 year old twig strip off the bark and look for presence (S. cinerea) or absence of ridges (S. caprea). Leaf shape and hairs on underside are also useful (tip, broadest point etc).

The first looks to me as if it has some White Willow in it. The main branches diverge at quite an acute angle (much less than 45 degrees), and the underside of the foliage may be pale. The twig you show is also quite yellow. There are a couple of varieties which are popular for winter colour: S x. rubens (cross of Crack & White willow) nothovar. basfordiana & S. alba var vitellina. I think both have their origins as willows grown for basket making. Any chance this scrub area has any historical relationship to osier growing?

The approach you mention for grasses in another threads has to be applied to Willows as well: except you need to visit the plants in spring, for the flowers; and in summer for the leaves. Named specimens are also useful: I believe that Nottingham Trent University have such a collection at their Brackenhurst campus outside Southwell.

Cheers,

poschiavanus

[Tiggrx]

The first tree looks rather like Bay Willow (Salix pentandra) or one of it's hybrids - one called Salix x meyeriana is frequently planted. S. pentandra is a native species in the north of Britain, but often planted elsewhere.

[Paul mabbott]

Thanks, people! I'll go back in the spring. Rather a fascinating cluster of oddities - the area is a semi-'natural' one so one would not expect garden cultivars in there but ...

There are also whitebeams in variety ....