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Shrubs

Salix exigua

coyote willow

A suckering shrub forming a thicket of slender stems bearing narrowly lance-shaped to linear leaves to 10cm long, silvery when young, later grey-green, and grey-yellow catkins, the males 5cm long, females 6cm long, are produced in spring with the leaves

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Ultimate height

2.5–4 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

2.5–4 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

West–facing or East–facing or South–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Salicaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Suckering
Genus: Salix are deciduous shrubs and trees of diverse habit, with simple leaves and tiny flowers in catkins, male and female usually on separate plants. Some are valued for their brightly coloured winter shoots, others for their foliage or showy male catkins
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Canada to Mexico

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in any well-drained or moist but well-drained soil in full sun or light shade; dislikes shallow chalk soils but grows well on sandy soils

Propagation

Propagate by softwood or semi-ripe cuttings from spring to summer or hardwood cuttings from autumn to late winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Hedging and screens

Pruning

Pruning group 1

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, caterpillars, leaf beetles, sawflies, willow scale

Diseases

May be susceptible to willow anthracnose, scab, canker, honey fungus and rust

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