SCIENTIFIC NAME: Salix caprea 'French Pink'

COMMON NAME: French Pink Flowering Pussy Willow

GARDEN SIZE: 10-15 feet tall x 12 feet wide

GROWTH RATE: Fast

USDA ZONE: 4-8

EXPOSURE: Full sun, Partial shade

WATER & SOIL: Prefers moist, acidic soils but tolerates alkaline soils; good drainage, occasional flooding, wet conditions

HABIT (FORM): Bushy, broad, upright shrub or small tree

FOLIAGE: Deciduous; medium green foliage

FLOWERS: Silvery-pink buds open to white catkins with yellow tips in early spring; 3/4" wide x 1" long catkins

PLANT ORIGIN: Europe and Asia

WILDLIFE SUPPORT: May provide some nesting sites and shelter for birds and small mammals, but does not serve as much of a food source for local insects and wildlife.

FERTILIZING: May apply organic compost in the spring.

PRUNING: Prune to remove heavy branches to prevent breakage, but otherwise no pruning is necessary. If shaping is desired, willows may be trimmed during dormancy.

TOXICITY FLAGS: Can be mildly toxic to pets (salicylic acid)

USES: Specimen tree, erosion control on slopes, rain garden, riparian areas