Types of Willow Trees by Form

Types of Willow Trees by Form guide illustration

Choose willow by habit: a weeping tree, a pussy willow, or a dappled shrub. Desert willow is Chilopsis, not this plant.

Types of Willow care summary diagram

Choose a weeping tree, a pussy willow, or a dappled shrub

FactorRecommendedAvoid
Weeping treeA large, wet site with room for 30 to 75 feetA small dry yard next to the house
Pussy willowA shrub or small tree for silver catkins in late winterExpecting hanging curtain branches
Dappled shrubA 4- to 10-foot foliage shrub for a borderExpecting it to become a shade tree

Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of salix that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.

2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.

Read the habit and the mature size on the tag. The choice is outline, catkins, or foliage. [1] [2] A native stream willow is a wet-bank tree, not a pussy-willow shrub. [3] After you choose, grow the plant on How to Grow Willow.

What is the difference between a weeping tree, a pussy willow, and a dappled shrub?

A weeping tree hangs to the ground and needs a large wet site. Pussy willow is grown for catkins. Dappled willow is a compact foliage shrub.

Browse by kind

Weeping trees

weeping willow is the hanging landscape tree. Tristis is the golden weeping form with yellow winter twigs. Both want a large, wet site.

Pussy willow shrubs

pussy willow is the American catkin shrub. goat willow is the European kind sold as pussy willow. Japanese pink and black catkin shrubs sit here too.

Dappled and osier shrubs

dappled willow is the pink, cream, and green foliage shrub. purple osier is a compact purple osier for a hedge, not a 50-foot tree.

Corkscrew and colored-stem trees

corkscrew willow twists every twig. Golden Curls adds golden bark on corkscrew wood. Golden-stem white willows sit here for winter color.

Native stream willows

black willow is the large native stream tree. coyote willow is a narrow thicket willow. Shining and arroyo willow belong on a wet bank, not a dry patio.

Pick by outline and size, not by a shop list of extra names.

Not desert willow — and not pussytoes

Desert willow is Chilopsis, a drought shrub with trumpet flowers. It is not Salix and it does not want wet feet. [4] Pussytoes is Antennaria, a lean-sun mat. An indoor plant sold as lucky bamboo is Dracaena, not a willow. A tag that says only “willow” is not enough; read the Latin.

Is desert willow a true willow?

No. Desert willow is Chilopsis. True willow is Salix. Confirm the Latin on the tag before you copy wet-soil care onto a desert shrub.

If the tag says desert willow or pussytoes, read the Latin before you plant.

FAQ

Is goat willow the same as pussy willow?

Goat willow is Salix caprea, often sold as pussy willow. American pussy willow is Salix discolor. Both are catkin shrubs.

Do you list Kilmarnock or Niobe?

Those nursery names are extra shop labels. A weeping tree still wants a large wet site.

Is lucky bamboo a willow?

No. Indoor lucky bamboo is Dracaena. Grow it as a houseplant, not as a landscape willow.

References

  1. [1] NC State Extension Gardener - https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/salix-babylonica/
  2. [2] NC State Extension Gardener - https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/salix-integra-hakuro-nishiki/
  3. [3] NC State Extension Gardener - https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/salix-nigra/
  4. [4] NC State Extension Gardener - https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/chilopsis-linearis/

This note is part of Salix Guides.

More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.

Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors

This guide is written for real gardens, not perfect climates. Results vary with site, season, and plant choice. We draw on multiple sources and practical experience; treat the steps here as honest guidance, not a promise that every bed will behave the same.