Heart-leaved Willow
Deciduous shrub or small tree growing 3-6 m tall. Features lance-shaped leaves and catkins appearing in early spring. Prefers moist to wet soils and full sun to partial shade. Tolerates seasonal flooding. Fast-growing and useful for streambank stabilization and erosion control. Provides cover and food for wildlife. Suitable for wetland restorations and naturalized areas in moist sites. Native to North America.
Plant Details
Bloom Colour: Yellow (catkins)
Bloom Time: Early Spring
Sun Requirements: Sun to Part-Shade
Moisture: Moist to Wet
Phenology: Catkins appear April before leaves. Leaves emerge May. Seeds disperse with cotton-like tufts in June. Yellow fall color develops October.
Wildlife Value: Early spring pollen source for bees; larval food for numerous moths and butterflies; provides cover in wet areas
Habit Over Time: Develops into a medium-sized, multi-stemmed shrub that spreads through root suckers to form thickets. New stems emerge both close to and at some distance from the parent plant. While it can spread extensively in optimal conditions, the process is gradual and the open growth pattern allows other plants to persist between stems.
Height: Tall (10-20 feet)