smithiana

This male hybrid is found widely in Europe where the two species grow together and inherits the best of both species! I first spied this hybrid at the Montreal Botanical Garden. ‘Twas an old tree, fallen on its side but with many erect young stems covered with pubescence and a myriad of silver-gray catkins. Even in its decline it was a very impressive sight! It’s a vigorous grower in our nursery and flowers prolifically in late winter even after coppicing the previous March. Will grow to a 30ft tree if left unpruned, but we recommend coppicing frequently to keep the flower shoots reachable. Often found “wild” in the Canadian Maritimes from the time where they were brought over for basketry; we saw some in Nova Scotia! It is sometimes confused with S. xholosericea which is a cross between Salix cinerea and Salix viminalis and is found in similar locations.