Salix aurita - Willow

Salix aurita, also known as the Earleaf Willow, is a small, bushy willow that is rarely cultivated in gardens. This species gets its name from the small rounded appendages, shaped like kidneys, that appear at the base of each leaf, resembling small ears. Its late spring flowering is quite decorative on its bare branches and gives way to beautiful white and silky fruits on the female plants. Salix aurita is a pioneer plant that thrives in sunny, moist, and acidic soils, such as those found near a water source. It is very useful for stabilizing riverbanks and slopes, and acts as a good windbreak in coastal regions.

The Earleaf Willow belongs to the willow family (Salicaceae). It is native to Western Europe, where it can still be found in sunny, humid locations with acidic or peaty soils. Slow-growing, it forms a large bush that will not exceed 3m (10ft) in height and 2.5m (8ft) in width. Its trunk is flexible and covered with striped bark. The branches are numerous, flexible, small, and often angular. Flowering occurs in April-May before the leaves emerge in the form of erect catkins, which can be either male or female, with both types of flowers borne on separate individuals. These highly nectar-rich flowers are tiny and clustered in small feathery green-yellow spikes. The deciduous foliage consists of small elliptical leaves, up to 4cm (2in) long, finely toothed, pointed, rough, wrinkled, and a dull green on top, with a whitish underside. The leaves turn yellow in autumn before falling.

The Earleaf Willow is an excellent choice for landscaping stream banks or pond edges, in non-chalky soil. It also thrives in periodically waterlogged areas, in a natural garden. The Earleaf Willow is highly frost-resistant. Prune it every year after flowering to encourage bushier growth and the production of numerous flowering branches. It can be planted individually, as a hedge, or at the back of a border, always in soil that is sufficiently moist to wet, alongside verticillate hollies, Cardinal dogwoods, or blueberries that thrive in similar conditions.

Properties:

Like all willows, this species contains a substance similar to aspirin in its bark. It is highly nectar-rich and a source of honey: bees that visit it produce a golden-yellow honey with green iridescence, which turns amber to beige as it ages. Its flavour is sweet, both floral and slightly woody. Its foliage was once used as fodder for goats.